🎉 Public Holidays (count) in Georgia

Public Holidays in Georgia

Overview: 15 Non-Working Days

Georgia counts 15 public holidays per year — established by the Law on Georgia's Holidays and supplemented by the Labour Code of Georgia (Article 30). This places Georgia well above the United States (11 federal holidays), above the United Kingdom (8 bank holidays in England and Wales), and above Australia (8 national public holidays plus state-specific additions). Canada has 6 federal statutory holidays, with provinces adding further days.

Complete List of Georgian Public Holidays

• January 1 — New Year's Day (ახალი წელი)
• January 2 — Second Day of the New Year
• January 7 — Orthodox Christmas (ქრისტეშობა). Georgia celebrates Christmas according to the Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. The Alaverdi Cathedral in Kakheti and the Holy Trinity (Sameba) Cathedral in Tbilisi are the central venues for midnight mass.
• January 19 — Baptism of Christ / Epiphany (ნათლისღება). In many communities, blessing ceremonies take place at rivers and lakes — a tradition shared with Russian Orthodoxy, though in Georgia it occurs in a milder climate.
• March 3 — Mother's Day (დედის დღე). A secular holiday observed in Georgia since 1991 — significantly earlier in the year than in the US (second Sunday of May) or UK (fourth Sunday of Lent).
• March 8 — International Women's Day (ქალთა საერთაშორისო დღე). In Georgia a full non-working holiday — unlike in most Western countries, where March 8 carries symbolic rather than legal significance.
• April 9 — Day of National Unity (ეროვნული ერთიანობის დღე). Commemorates the violent dispersal of a peaceful demonstration by Soviet troops in Tbilisi on April 9, 1989, in which 21 people were killed. Annual memorial events are held at Heroes' Square (გმირთა მოედანი).
• Easter Sunday and Easter Monday — Orthodox Easter (აღდგომა). The date follows the Julian calendar and usually falls 1–5 weeks after Western Easter. In 2026, Orthodox Easter falls on April 12. Holy Week is the most intensely religious period of the year.
• May 9 — Victory Day (გამარჯვების დღე). Commemorates the end of World War II. Georgia lost over 300,000 soldiers in the war — from a population of 3.6 million at the time, one of the highest per-capita loss rates among Soviet republics.
• May 26 — Independence Day (დამოუკიდებლობის დღე). Commemorates the First Georgian Republic of 1918. Military parade on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, public celebrations in all cities. May 26 is the country's most patriotic holiday.
• August 28 — Assumption of Mary (მარიამობა). One of the most important religious holidays. Pilgrimages to the Ananuri Fortress and the David Gareja Monastery draw tens of thousands.
• October 14 — Svetitskhoveli Day / Mtskheta Holiday (სვეტიცხოვლობა). Feast of the Living Pillar, named after Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, the spiritual center of the Georgian Orthodox Church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• November 23 — St. George's Day (გიორგობა). Feast of Saint George, the patron saint of Georgia. The country's English name — contrary to popular belief — likely derives from the Persian "Gurji" rather than from Saint George, but the symbolic connection is deeply embedded.

Religious Character and Social Significance

Of the 15 holidays, 7 have an explicitly religious background — all Orthodox Christian. The Georgian Orthodox Apostolic Church under Patriarch Ilia II (in office since 1977) enjoys a constitutional special status (Article 8) and shapes public life. For Western expats, this means: December 25 is a normal working day in Georgia, while Orthodox Christmas on January 7 is a day off. New Year's Eve is celebrated enthusiastically — December 31 is not an official holiday, but in practice most offices close by midday.

Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian Apostolic holidays are not legally recognized as non-working days, despite Georgia hosting significant minorities of these faiths — approximately 10% of the population is Muslim, concentrated in Adjara and Kvemo Kartli. However, the Labour Code permits employees to take up to 3 days of unpaid special leave for religious reasons.

Economic Impact

The distribution of holidays creates several consecutive free periods: the New Year period (January 1–2 + January 7) effectively becomes a 7- to 10-day rest period, as many businesses declare the intervening days as company vacation. The Easter period and May (May 9 + May 26) offer further bridge-day opportunities. For freelancers and self-employed individuals, this means: during the first week of January, at Easter, and around late May, government offices, banks, and many business partners are unreachable. Notarial offices and the Public Service Hall (სახალხო სამსახურის სახლი) close on all 15 holidays.

Practical Tips for Expats

Those relocating from Western countries to Georgia need to mentally adjust the holiday calendar: December 25 is a workday, January 7 is off. School holidays follow the Orthodox calendar. International schools in Tbilisi (British International School, QSI International School, and others) partially follow the Western calendar and grant December 25 off, simplifying planning for families. Employers are obligated to pay double compensation to employees working on holidays (Article 30, Labour Code) — a requirement reliably implemented at international companies but frequently ignored by local SMEs. The smartphone app "Georgia Public Holidays" (available for iOS and Android) synchronizes all 15 holidays including the annually varying Orthodox Easter date with personal calendars.

This article was created on April 19, 2026