St Andrew the First-Called Day

Name: St Andrew the First-Called Day
Start: 2027-05-12
End: 2027-05-12
Location: Georgia

A church holiday honouring the apostle who, by Georgian tradition, first brought Christianity to the country.

WhenFixed: 12 May, public holiday

202612 May 2026

202712 May 2027 · confirmed

WhereAll over Georgia

Public holidayYes: offices and some shops close

Georgian church tradition holds that the apostle Andrew preached in western Georgia in the 1st century, long before St Nino converted the royal court in the 4th. The day of his arrival is kept on 12 May with liturgies in churches named after him.

It has been a public holiday since 2017. Expect closed offices and normal opening hours at most sights.

Tips from your host

Most sights and shops stay open; government offices close.

Last checked Oct 2026 by the Maspindzeli team. Mountain conditions change: ask us before you go.

Tours around St Andrew the First-Called Day

Sioni CathedralPhoto: Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0

7 days

Classic & Culture

Orthodox Georgia Pilgrimage

A week following the story of Georgian Christianity from St Nino's arrival in Mtskheta to the cave hermitages of David Gareja and the royal monastery of Gelati, with time to join a Sunday liturgy and guidance on how to dress and behave in working churches.

Easy · CL-07Bfrom $1,360 pp

More in May and after

Full calendar →

17 May 2027Day of Family Sanctity and Respect for Parents

A church-backed day off with a large procession in central Tbilisi.

Public holiday2027 date confirmedReligiousNationwide

26 May 2027Independence Day (26 May)

Georgia's national day, marking the 1918 Democratic Republic, with flags, concerts and fairs in Tbilisi.

Public holiday2027 date confirmedHolidayNationwide

2 May 2027 (expected)Kutaisoba (Kutaisi City Day)

Kutaisi's spring city festival, with concerts, folk dance and market stalls in the centre.

2027 date expectedCityImereti