- Georgian Christmas, called Shoba, is on 7 January because the Georgian Orthodox Church keeps the Julian calendar. The 7th is a public holiday, while 25 December is a normal working day.
- The main service is the night liturgy of 6 to 7 January. The biggest one is at Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi, and 7 January 2027 is the first Christmas for Patriarch Shio III.
- The Alilo parade walks on the afternoon of 7 January. The 2026 Tbilisi walk began on First Republic Square around 14:00 and ended two hours later at Sameba. The 2027 time is not announced yet.
- Families end a 40-day fast after the night service with pork, satsivi and regional Christmas pies. At midnight many set a lit candle in the window.
- Early January is cold but mostly dry in Tbilisi, about 7°C by day, and the ski slopes of Gudauri and Bakuriani are open.
Georgian Christmas falls on 7 January, not 25 December. Its Orthodox Church still dates feasts by the old Julian calendar, now 13 days behind the calendar most of the world uses. Georgians call the feast Shoba, a word that simply means birth. On the night before, churches fill for a liturgy that goes on past midnight, and families put a lit candle in the window. On Christmas afternoon the Alilo parade walks through Tbilisi and other towns. It sings carols and collects gifts for people in need.
This guide is for visitors who want to see Christmas in Georgia the way locals live it. It explains the date, Christmas Eve and where to watch the Patriarch's service and the Alilo walk. It also covers the food, what stays open, the weather and where to go outside Tbilisi. One thing is new this season. Christmas 2027 will be the first for Patriarch Shio III, who became head of the church in May 2026. Dates and routes not yet announced are marked as expected.
Why Georgian Christmas is on 7 January
It comes down to the calendar. Georgia as a state switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, but its Orthodox Church kept the Julian one. The church still marks the Nativity on 25 December by its own count. In the civil calendar, that day is now 7 January. Several other Orthodox churches do the same, among them those of Russia, Serbia and Jerusalem.
The gap between the two calendars is 13 days today. It grows to 14 days in March 2100. So 7 January stays the date through the year 2100, and from 2101 Julian Christmas moves to 8 January. For any trip you plan now, the date is fixed. In 2027, 7 January is a Thursday.
Shoba is short for the Nativity of Christ. Before it comes the Nativity fast, 40 days from 28 November to 6 January. Devout families give up meat, dairy and eggs for those weeks, and many cafes add a lenten menu. Not everyone fasts, but nearly everyone joins the feast.
| Date (2026/27 season) | What happens | Day off? |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 28 Nov 2026 | The Nativity fast starts | No |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Western Christmas; some hotels hold a dinner for foreign guests | No |
| Thu 31 Dec 2026 to Sat 2 Jan 2027 | New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Bedoba | 1 and 2 January |
| Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Christmas Eve: last fast day, night liturgy, candles in windows | No |
| Thu 7 Jan 2027 | Christmas Day (Shoba) and the Alilo walks | Yes |
| Night of 13 to 14 Jan 2027 | Old New Year: one more family supper and fireworks | No |
| Tue 19 Jan 2027 | Epiphany (Natlisgheba): blessing of the water in churches | Yes |
Christmas Eve in Georgia (6 January): night services and candles in windows
6 January is a normal working day, but the city slows down as it gets dark. Kitchens are busy with food for the next day, and the bazaars are crowded. For families who fast, supper is still lenten. Think bean stew, pkhali (vegetables pounded with walnuts), corn bread, pickles and fruit.
Late in the evening, every working church begins the Christmas liturgy. Most start at about 23:00 and carry on well past midnight. People stand, since Georgian churches have few or no seats. Thin beeswax candles are sold at a stall by the door. You light yours from one already burning and set it in front of an icon.
At midnight many families set a burning candle in a window. The custom is fairly new. Patriarch Ilia II asked believers to do it, as a light for Mary and the Child on their way. It recalls the Holy Family looking for shelter in Bethlehem. Walk down a quiet street after midnight and you will see small flames in window after window.
Tbilisi keeps the metro open late for churchgoers. On Christmas night 2026 trains ran until about 03:00, and rides after midnight were free. A similar notice for 2027 should come in the first days of January.
The Patriarch's Christmas liturgy at Sameba Cathedral
The largest service in the country is at Sameba, Tbilisi's Holy Trinity Cathedral. It stands on Elia Hill in Avlabari and is ~86 m tall to the top of its cross. Since its consecration in 2004 it has been the seat of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. On Christmas night the head of the church leads the liturgy there, and his Christmas epistle is read out. This is a yearly message to the whole country. Government leaders usually attend, and the service goes out live on Georgian television.
This season brings a change. In January 2026 the Sameba liturgy was led by Metropolitan Shio, then acting head of the church, and a Christmas message from Patriarch Ilia II was read out. Ilia II, who had led the church since 1977, died on 17 March 2026 at the age of 93. Shio was elected on 11 May and enthroned the next day at Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta as Shio III. So 7 January 2027 will be his first Christmas as Patriarch.
Visitors are welcome, and entry is free. The crowd is huge, though, and the best places inside fill an hour or more before the start. Many people wait in the courtyard and gardens instead. There you still hear the bells at midnight, and you can leave when the cold wins.
For a calmer night, pick a smaller church. Sioni Cathedral in the Old Town keeps St Nino's grapevine cross, and the Patriarch has served the Christmas liturgy there too, as in 2023. Anchiskhati, the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, is small and full of local families. Outside the capital, Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta holds a large service of its own.
Georgian Christmas Alilo: where to watch the parade
Alilo is the Christmas walk most visitors come to see. The name is the refrain of old Georgian carols and is often linked to the word alleluia. In the past, small groups went from house to house, sang a blessing at each door and were given food or a coin. Soviet rule pushed the custom out of public life. Since 2000 the church has blessed a large street version on 7 January. Today it walks in Tbilisi, Batumi and many smaller towns. Our Alilo Christmas Procession page tells its story and explains the carols.
What you see
The walk is slow, loud and cheerful. Priests carry icons, crosses and church banners, and some sprinkle holy water over the crowd. Boys in white robes play angels. Others come as shepherds or the three wise men, and some men wear the long Georgian chokha coat. Choirs and families sing as they go, and the white flag with five red crosses is everywhere. Vans and carts move with the walkers to take in what people give.
The Tbilisi route
In 2026 the Tbilisi column formed on First Republic Square, by the north end of Rustaveli Avenue, and moved off at about 14:00. It walked down the avenue to Freedom Square. From there it went down Baratashvili Rise and across the Baratashvili Bridge to Avlabari. It reached Sameba at about 16:00, where a prayer service closed the day. Streets close in stages as the walkers pass. Freedom Square, for example, has shut to cars for about half an hour from around 15:00.
- First Republic Square, from about 13:30
Watch the column form up, with choirs, banners and costumed children waiting to start. Rustaveli metro station is right under the square. - Rustaveli Avenue, about 14:00 to 15:00
The widest view of the whole parade. The broad pavements by the Opera and the Parliament give room to stand back. - Freedom Square and the Baratashvili Bridge, about 15:00
The column turns here and heads down to the river. Crowds are thinner than on the avenue. - Sameba Cathedral, about 16:00
Wait in the gardens to see the walkers arrive and stay for the prayer service. Avlabari metro station is a short walk downhill.
Use these times as a guide only. The 2027 start time and route have not been announced. Tbilisi City Hall usually posts its traffic notice in the first days of January. The rebuilding of Rustaveli Avenue, due to end in late November 2026, could also change the plan.
How to join in
Anyone can walk along for a stretch, believer or not. Bring something for the carts: a bag of mandarins, sweets, new warm socks or children's clothes. The gifts go to orphanages, care homes, shelters and prisons. Keep to the edge of the column, and ask before you photograph children up close.
Alilo outside Tbilisi
Batumi holds its own procession. Most regional towns have a smaller one, usually starting from the main church. In villages the old house-to-house Alilo lives on. A few singers knock, sing a verse and leave with churchkhela, sweets or a coin. These groups often go out on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Times are rarely posted online, so ask your host or guesthouse.
Christmas in Georgia at home: traditions and greetings
Christmas Day is calm and family-centred. After a late night in church, people sleep in, call relatives and visit their parents. The big meal comes at lunch or in the evening. It is a quieter day than New Year, which most Georgians treat as the bigger party.
Do not expect Santa on 25 December. The gift-bringer here is Tovlis Babua, Grandfather Snow, and he comes at New Year. The chichilaki also belongs to New Year. It is a small tree made from a hazel branch shaved into white curls. It stays in the house over Christmas and is burned on or just before Epiphany, 19 January, taking the old year's troubles with it.
Two greetings will win you smiles. Gilotsavt Shobas means Happy Christmas. Churchgoers also greet each other with Kriste ishva, Christ is born, and answer Adidet, glorify him.
Listen for the singing, too. Georgian polyphony, with three voices weaving together, is on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage. Each region has its own Alilo tune. You may hear one in church, in the street or at a family table.
Georgian Christmas food: what is on the table
The Christmas meal ends 40 days of fasting, so meat comes first. Pork is the classic, often roasted whole as a piglet. Satsivi is the other star: turkey or chicken served cold in a thick walnut sauce. Then come cheese breads, pickles, herbs and plenty of homemade wine. Each region adds a dish of its own.
| Region | Christmas dish | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Guria | Gurian Christmas pie | Half-moon pie of cheese and chopped hard-boiled egg, made on Christmas Eve |
| Samegrelo | Ghomi with satsivi | Stiff cornmeal porridge eaten with poultry in walnut sauce |
| Kartli and Kakheti | Kada | A sweet, buttery layered pastry |
| Imereti | Imeretian khachapuri | Round bread with a salty cheese filling |
| Svaneti | Kubdari | Bread stuffed with spiced chopped meat |
| Adjara | Achma | Sheets of boiled dough layered with cheese and butter, then baked |
| Pshavi and Khevsureti | Khinkali | Meat dumplings eaten by hand |
| Everywhere | Churchkhela and dried fruit | Walnut strings dipped in thick grape juice, with dried persimmons and figs |
Sweets belong mostly to New Year, but they stay out well into January. Churchkhela hangs in every bazaar. Gozinaki, walnuts set in boiled honey and cut into diamonds, is made for both holidays. Our gozinaki recipe shows how to make it at home. For where to buy good churchkhela, see our churchkhela guide.
Before Christmas: the Tbilisi Christmas market and New Year
The festive season in the capital opens in mid-December, when the city lights its main tree and opens a market of wooden stalls. In 2025/26 it stood on First Republic Square, where Alilo also starts. For 2026/27 it is expected from mid-December and should still be open on 6 January. Our Tbilisi Christmas market guide covers the dates, the stalls and what to buy.
New Year is the louder night. On 31 December families sit down to a long supper at home, and fireworks go up across the city at midnight. 1 and 2 January are both days off, and people believe the second, Bedoba, shapes the luck of the months ahead. Our New Year in Georgia guide has the details.
What is open and closed at Christmas in Georgia
7 January is one of Georgia's public holidays under the Labour Code, along with 1, 2 and 19 January. Offices, banks, schools and most state services close. Daily life goes on, though, and a visitor will rarely feel stuck.
- Open as usual: supermarkets, most cafes and restaurants, bars, pharmacies, big malls and bazaars such as Dezerter.
- Often closed or on short hours: small family shops, some museums and private galleries. Check a museum's own page before you go.
- Running: the Tbilisi metro, buses, taxis, trains, flights and the ski lifts at the resorts.
- Busy: churches all morning, and roads around the holidays, as many families travel to their home villages.
- Cash machines work as normal. Still, carry small notes for candles, village shops and gifts for the Alilo carts.
Christmas in Georgia (the country): weather and where to go
Early January is cold but rarely grim. Tbilisi averages about 7°C by day and just below freezing at night. Rain falls on only about four days in the month, and snow in the city is rare. The mountains are deep in winter, which is good news for skiers. The Black Sea coast is mild but wet.
| Place | Altitude | Average January high / low | Why go around Christmas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi | ~430 m | 7°C / -0.4°C | Night liturgy, Alilo, the market and the lights |
| Mtskheta | ~460 m | 6.5°C / -1.5°C | Svetitskhoveli and Jvari, half an hour from the capital |
| Sighnaghi (Kakheti) | ~790 m | 5.5°C / -1.9°C | Quiet wine cellars, Bodbe Monastery, snowy peaks on the skyline |
| Gudauri | ~2,200 m | -3.5°C / -9.9°C | Skiing and snowboarding in full season |
| Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) | ~1,740 m | -0.4°C / -7.6°C | Gergeti Trinity Church in snow, if the pass is open |
| Bakuriani | ~1,700 m | -0.6°C / -10.2°C | Gentle family skiing and sledging |
| Kutaisi | ~150 m | 9.4°C / 3.5°C | Gelati and Bagrati with few visitors; often rainy |
| Batumi | sea level | 11.9°C / 5.5°C | The mildest place; rain on about 14 days a month |
Mtskheta, ~20 km north of Tbilisi, is the easiest outing on 7 or 8 January. Svetitskhoveli holds services all through the holiday, and Jvari Monastery above the town looks fine in low winter light. Our Mtskheta day trip guide explains how to get there.
Kakheti, about 2 hours east, is very quiet in January. Family cellars still welcome guests, and the wine from the autumn harvest is ready to taste. Bodbe Monastery near Sighnaghi holds services through the holidays. If you drive via Telavi, check road status on the Gombori Pass after snow.
For snow, Gudauri is ~120 km up the Georgian Military Highway, about 2 to 2.5 hours away. The 2026/27 season had not been announced by October, but the lifts tend to start turning in the second half of December. Past Gudauri, the road crosses the Jvari Pass (2,379 m) to Stepantsminda. It closed fully on 10 to 17 days in each recent winter, so keep a spare day. Bakuriani, about 3 hours west, suits families and beginners.
Kutaisi and Batumi stay above freezing most days, but rain is common. They suit a city break and church visits better than a winter holiday.
A three-day Christmas trip and private tours
Three days from 6 to 8 January cover the whole holiday without rushing. Add the Old New Year on the night of the 13th if you can stay longer.
- 6 January: Old Tbilisi and the night service
Walk the Old Town and shop for churchkhela at Dezerter Bazaar. Rest in the afternoon and eat a lenten supper. Then go to church for the night liturgy and look for candles in windows on the way back. - 7 January: Christmas lunch and the Alilo walk
Sleep late and book a long lunch. Be on Rustaveli Avenue or First Republic Square by early afternoon, then follow the walkers to Sameba. The cathedral is floodlit after dark. - 8 January: out of the city
Spend a half day in Mtskheta, a full day among the cellars of Kakheti, or head up to Gudauri for snow. Each works as a private day trip from Tbilisi.
Every Maspindzeli tour is private. It starts on the date you pick, takes groups of any size and comes with a guide who speaks your language. A Tbilisi city break fits Christmas week well, and a day trip or a ski week can follow it. For a longer church-focused trip, see the Orthodox Georgia Pilgrimage. Travel insurance is compulsory for foreign visitors to Georgia, so check that your policy covers skiing if you plan to ski.
Practical tips for Christmas in Georgia
- Dress for hours outdoors. A warm coat, hat, gloves and boots with a good grip matter more than style at the night service and the parade.
- Women should carry a headscarf. Many churches keep spare scarves by the door, but on Christmas night they run out.
- Do not photograph people at prayer, and never use a flash in church. Outside, at the parade, most walkers are happy to be photographed.
- Book Tbilisi hotels early if your trip includes New Year. Christmas week itself is calmer and cheaper.
- Driving yourself? Hire a car with winter tyres, carry chains for mountain roads and look up the road status each morning.
- If your host is fasting before the 7th, enjoy the lenten food. It is often the best vegetable cooking of the year.
- Learn the greeting Gilotsavt Shobas. People will be delighted to hear it from a visitor.
Georgian Christmas FAQ
When is Christmas in Georgia?
Georgians celebrate Christmas on 7 January. The national church follows the Julian calendar, so its 25 December falls on 7 January in the civil calendar. The main service is the night before, on 6 to 7 January.
Is 25 December a holiday in Georgia?
No. 25 December is a normal working day. You will see lights and a Christmas market in Tbilisi, but offices and schools stay open. The days off are 1, 2, 7 and 19 January.
Is Orthodox Christmas in Georgia a public holiday?
Yes. 7 January is a public holiday under Georgia's Labour Code. Banks, offices and schools close, while most shops, cafes, restaurants and public transport keep running.
What is the Georgian Christmas Alilo?
Alilo is a Christmas procession on 7 January, named after the refrain of old carols. Priests, choirs and children dressed as angels walk through the streets and collect food, clothes and money for people in need. Anyone can join for a stretch.
What time is the Alilo parade in Tbilisi in 2027?
It has not been announced yet. The 2026 column started at First Republic Square around 2 pm and finished at Sameba Cathedral close to 4 pm, by way of Rustaveli Avenue and the Baratashvili Bridge. City Hall usually confirms the time in the first days of January.
Can tourists attend the Christmas liturgy at Sameba?
Yes. Entry is free and visitors are welcome if they dress modestly and stay quiet. The cathedral is packed, so arrive early or wait in the courtyard. Women should cover their hair.
What do Georgians eat at Christmas?
After a 40-day fast, the table is full of meat: roast pork and satsivi, poultry in walnut sauce. Regions add their own dishes, such as the Gurian Christmas pie with egg and cheese. Churchkhela, gozinaki and dried fruit finish the meal.
Is Christmas a good time to visit Georgia the country?
Yes, if you like winter. Tbilisi is cold but mostly dry, the ski resorts are open and churches are at their most festive. Pack warm clothes and keep a spare day for mountain roads.
