Official holidays will increase to 18 in 2025, bringing the total number of paid vacation days in combination with the 24 days of vacation time provided for by law to 42. Hey, Georgians like their days off. According to Visual Capitalist, only Andorra, Monaco, and San Marino get more holidays in Europe, with Iran, Bahrain, Bhutan, and Yemen up there globally. But actually, government decree can change that in Georgia. Let’s take a closer look.
Official holidays in Georgia 2024, 2025, 2026,…
Holidays are covered in Article 30 of the Labor Code of Georgia. Most are fixed, with the exception of Orthodox Easter, which, according to the 2014 census, is celebrated by 86% of the Georgian population. Of Georgia’s 18 holidays, 8 are religious.
| Date | Title | Georgian | Brief description |
| Jan. 1 | New Year’s | Ahali tseli (ახალი წელი) | Needs no introduction |
| Jan. 2 | The day after | Bedoba (ბედოობა) | How you spend Bedoba (ბედოობა) defines your year. Best spent at home with family and without any quarrels or contention |
| Jan. 7 | Christmas | Shoba (შობა) | Georgia celebrates Christmas according to the Julian calendar along with Serbia, Jerusalem, Russia, and a few other Orthodox jurisdictions. Liturgy is celebrated at midnight |
| Jan. 19 | Theophany | Natlisgeba (ნათლისღება) | Theophany, known as Epiphany in the Western tradition (ნათლისღება), is, among other things, a day of mass baptisms |
| March 3 | Mother’s Day | დედის დღე | Georgian Mother’s Day (დედის დღე), established by the first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, in 1991 |
| March 8 | International Women’s Day | ქალთა საერთაშორისო დღე | International Women’s Day (ქალთა საერთაშორისო დღე) has been drawing attention to women’s rights in Georgia since 1996 |
| April 9 | National Unity Day | ეროვნული ერთიანობის დღე | Honors those who died for their homeland. On this day in 1989, Soviet troops entered Tbilisi to suppress a rally, killing protesters and catalyzing the independence movement and leading to the eventual Restoration of Georgia’s Independence on April 9, 1991 |
| — | Easter holidays | Ahdgoma (აღდგომა) | Starts on Good Friday and includes Monday, when everyone in the entire country is out visiting the graves of their dearly departed |
| May 9 | Victory over Fascism Day | ფაშიზმზე გამარჯვების დღე | Victory over Fascism Day (ფაშიზმზე გამარჯვების დღე). According to the Georgia State Veterans Affairs Service, up to 700,000 Georgians participated in World War II, 400,000 laying down their lives. In 2023, 114 veterans remained, the oldest 104 |
| May 12 (two holidays at once) | St. Andrew the Apostle | ანდრია პირველწოდებულის ხსენების დღეა | During his extensive missionary travels, St. Andrew visited many countries; this date marks his entry into Georgia and is unique to the Georgian Church |
| May 12 | Day of the Mother of God and Georgia | ყოვლადწმინდა ღვთისმშობლისადმი საქართველოს წილხვდომილობის დღე | Celebrated since 2019 on the initiative of the Patriarchate and in accordance with the belief that the country has been under the special protection of the Mother of God for more than two thousand years, a fact that has influenced Georgia’s culture and identity |
| May 17 | Day of Family Purity and Respect for Parents | ოჯახის სიწმინდისა და მშობლების პატივისცემის დღე | This new holiday dedicated to the family will be celebrated for the first time in 2025 |
| May 26 | Georgian Independence Day | დამოუკიდებლობის დღე | Specifically the independence first declared in 1918 following the collapse of the Russian Empire. New recruits take their military oaths and concerts and festive events abound |
| Aug. 28 | Dormition | Mariamoba (მარიამობა) | Begins with an all-night vigil on the eve of the feast |
| Oct. 14 | Feast of the Tunic of the Lord | Mtskhetoba (მცხეთობის) | Also known as Mtskhetoba (მცხეთობის) for the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta, where the Tunic is preserved in Svetitskhoveli Cathedral |
| Nov. 23 | St. George’s Day | Giorgoba (გიორგობა) | In honor of Georgia’s patron saint |
Important note: National holidays that fall on the weekend (Saturday or Sunday) are not transferred to another date
New days off
Georgian legislation allows for additional days of rest to be introduced by special decree, usually published a few weeks before the fact and apply to employees of administrative institutions (these clarifications are always specified in the decree).
For example, the 2024 Easter holidays fell on May 3-6 and Victory Day and St. Andrew’s Day on May 9 and 12. To make the vacations longer, the government made May 7, 8, and 10 a part of the break, giving government agencies nine days off in a row (excluding Sunday, May 11). January is a usual suspect for these additional days.
In private companies, it’s up to the employer to decide whether the employees get the extra days off, with some famous exceptions. For example, in 2021, the Interagency Coordinating Council declared May 4-11 a general holiday because of the coronavirus. In any case, you can track government decrees on their official page, on Facebook (Georgians take their Facebook very seriously), or in the news.
And don’t forget about the labor contract. Georgian employees have the right to specify days off in their contract, something that applies to foreigners too. PB Services can help you draft your contracts and provide comprehensive HR services. Email us to book a free consultation
Paid holidays by the book
- Any work done on one of the 18 public holidays listed above is overtime (Article 27 of the Labor Code of Georgia), usually paid at time and a half, though that isn’t defined by law – it needs to be specified in the contract
- The parties may agree to grant an additional day off in lieu of overtime (meaning no time and a half)
- Pregnant women, minors, people with disabilities, and parents with a child under 3 years of age can’t be forced to work overtime if they don’t want to
- Work on weekends stipulated by government decree is paid at the normal rate (for employees of private companies)
Other important provisions of the Labor Code of Georgia
- The minimum daily rest period is 12 hours
- The minimum weekly rest period is 24 hours
- The normal working week must not exceed 40 hours (or 36 hours for minors aged 16-18)
- All employees who work 6 hours or more per day are entitled to a break of at least 60 minutes
- Minimum paid vacation is 24 working days per year
- The law allows for a minimum of 15 days of unpaid leave per year
Unofficial holidays to keep in mind
In his 1888 book The Kingdom of Georgia, English diplomat and explorer Oliver Wardrop called life in Georgia “among cheerful, open and honest people […] the best cure for melancholy”. As you might expect, the already venerable list of official holidays comes with a bevy of unofficial ones celebrated regionally, and otherwise, that are worth knowing about.
- Ten days before Easter (in February) – Lamproba (ლამპრობა). An ancient Svani festival dedicated to victory over enemies, also dedicated to St. George and early spring
- March 20 or 21 – Novruz (ნოვრუზი). The coming of spring and solar new year. Celebrated in regions inhabited by ethnic Azeris
- April 15 is Love Day (სიყვარულის დღე). A relatively new holiday conceived as an alternative to Valentine’s Day
- Thursday of Bright Week (the week after Easter) – Tsachkhuroba (წაჩხურობა). Known for the centuries-old tradition of lighting cradles in the village of Tsachkhuri, Martvili. Happy parents and childless couples come to pray for the blessing of a child
- May 15 – Konstantineoba (კონსტანტინეობა). Birthday of writer Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, father of the first president of Georgia. Actively celebrated in the writer’s hometown of Abasha, a town of unique wonders and cleanliness…
- June 1 – Ninooba (ნინოობა), also known as the Day of the Coming of Saint Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia
- July 16 is Gergetoba (გერგეთობა), the Day of Spiritual Love. A Christian holiday revived by Holy Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II
- July 28 – Kvirikoba (კვირიკობა), or the Day of the Holy Martyrs Iulitta and her little son Kvirik. Celebrated in Svaneti and Lamiskana. In fact, villages throughout the country have special holidays on the day of their patron saint. It’s a good time to watch some Geogian wrestling, a common part of the celebration, and maybe win yourself a sheep…
- From late September to mid-October is the multi-day Rtveli grape harvest festival (რთველი). The exact days depend on the region
- The beginning of October is Tbilisoba (თბილისობა). A separate harvest festival in Tbilisi dedicated to the capital city itself
- Check out a church calendar for more special days
Production calendar for 2025
Download this calendar below for a list of all of Georgia’s official holidays for 2025 (excluding government decrees that are published as they come).
Catholics and Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter in 2025 on April 20, meaning the 18 to 21 will be holidays in Georgia. Also, the Day of Family Purity will be celebrated for the first time, on May 17, a Saturday. The total number of days off in 2025 is 116 (104 Saturdays and Sundays).
Academic Calendar 2024-2025
Educational institutions also publish an academic calendar every year for students and their parents indicating the beginning of the year, the duration of vacations, and the dates of examinations. Check them out on the official institution website. For example:
- Ilia State University
- Business and Technology University (BTU)
- The European School in Georgia
2024-2025 winter vacation in public schools will last from December 30 to January 14, spring from March 8 to 14, and the school year will wrap up on June 13. The dates vary for institutions of higher education. For example, Ilia State University celebrates New Year’s from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, and the academic year will end on July 14, the last day of sessions for students.
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