New Year (Akhali Tseli) and Bedoba
Georgia's biggest family celebration: fireworks at midnight, a heavy festive table and two days off work.
TbilisiPhoto: Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0New Year matters more to most Georgian families than Christmas does. On the night of 31 December the sky over Tbilisi fills with private fireworks from every balcony and hillside, and the table carries satsivi (turkey or chicken in walnut sauce), gozinaki (honey-and-walnut brittle) and churchkhela. The first person to step into the house after midnight, the mekvle, is believed to set the luck for the coming year, so families often choose that guest with care.
The second of January is Bedoba, the 'day of fate'. Tradition says the way you spend it foretells the rest of the year, so people keep it calm and cheerful. Both days are public holidays, and many shops, offices and museums close or open late.
- Book restaurants for New Year's Eve weeks ahead; many serve a fixed supra menu.
- Expect fireworks from every direction after midnight; the Narikala and Mtatsminda viewpoints show the whole city lit up.
- Banks and many shops close on 1 and 2 January, so carry some cash.
Where to see it
Last checked Oct 2026 by the Maspindzeli team. Mountain conditions change: ask us before you go.
Tours around New Year (Akhali Tseli) and Bedoba
More in January and after
Singing Christmas processions that walk through Georgian towns collecting food and gifts for people in need.
19 Jan 2027Epiphany (Natlisgheba)The feast of Christ's baptism, when churches bless water and many believers take home bottles of holy water.
14 Jan 2027Old New Year (Dzveli Akhali Tseli)A second, quieter New Year that follows the old Julian calendar, with more fireworks on the night of the 13th.