Christmas in Tbilisi 2025: Traditions, Markets, & Food

Thinking of spending New Year’s Eve and Christmas in Tbilisi but need to know what to expect and where to go? This post showcases all the information about Georgian Christmas and New Year traditions, food, and where to go for markets and various events.

Christmas in Tbilisi is quite magical, with illuminated and beautifully decorated streets and cute Christmas markets creating a festive atmosphere at the main avenues and neighborhood squares. So, you are in for a treat if you plan on visiting Tbilisi in December. However, note that there is rarely snow in Tbilisi for this festive period. Surprisingly, it snowed the first week of January and March 2023.

December 2024: Due to the current protests happening in Georgia, Christmas Festivities won’t be as grand as it used to be. Many vendors and businesses boycotted participation in Christmas markets, however, the lights and decorations are up. You can read more about what’s going in Georgia on my daily summery posts I write on Facebook under #RFDProtests2024

If you are familiar with Georgia, you already know the country has many traditions. Almost every occasion here has its own customs, and New Year and Christmas are no exception. 

While the rest of the world slowly gets into the festive mood from mid-November, buying gifts, choosing their Christmas tree, and preparing for the essential feast of the year, Georgians are not in a hurry.

When is Georgian Christmas?

Unlike many Catholic countries, Georgia follows the Julien Calendar for its festivities, which means that every special occasion and religious celebration is marked 13 days after those nations following the Gregorian Calendar. Therefore, our Christmas is on a different date, but let’s go chronologically.

However, the festive atmosphere starts in December when the lights turn on in the streets of Tbilisi, and the whole celebration lasts till January 19 – Orthodox Epiphany. So, if you are coming to Georgia to spend Christmas in Tbilisi or elsewhere in the country, you have a few weeks of festivities! 

Christmas in Georgia essential dates and tips

Before diving deep into Georgian traditions and why we celebrate Christmas on a different day, here are the important dates you’d need to consider. 

Every year, the Tbilisi City Hall announces the theme of the year. For 2024/2025 season theme is The City Full of Victories, a contraversial topic among many locals.

Here are all the themes of the previous years:

• 2018 – The City Full of Life
• 2019 – The City Full of Love
• 2020 – The City Full of History
• 2021 – The City Full of Solidarity
• 2022 – We Should Love Each Other
• 2023 – The City Full of Peace
• 2024 – Eauropean City

Tbilisi’s more than 30 streets traditionally have various city lights and decorations. In 2023, we had a new Christmas tree because the one from 2022 caught on fire and was damaged due to the fireworks.

• December 6 (postphoned to Dec 16) – the official date for turning on the city lights and lighting up the main Christmas tree in front of the Parliament. Time to be confirmed, but it’s usually at 8 pm.
• December 13 (postphoned to Dec 21) – opening of Tbilisi Christmas Market around Orbeliani Square and Deda Ena Park.
• December 31 – New Year’s Eve with a Tbilisi New Year Gala concert at First Republic Square
• January 1-2 – New Year’s Days (public holidays)
• January 7 – Orthodox Christmas and Alilo Parade (public holiday)
• January 14 – Old New Year
• January 15 – closure of the Tbilisi Christmas Market
• January 19 – Orthodox Epiphany that ends the festivities (public holiday)

Even though most of these dates are not official holidays, many businesses stop operating close to the New Year dates and a few days into January.

Banks, government offices, businesses, and museums are closed on public holidays. Most bars, cafes, and restaurants stay open during Christmas in Tbilisi, and public transport runs as usual.

Note that car traffic gets insane during New Year and Christmas celebrations. It starts in mid-December and continues the first days of January. It’s incredibly hectic around open market areas (Deserter, Navtlughi, and Lilo bazaars) and New Year’s Eve. Ordering a taxi on those days can be challenging, and prices also go significantly up. 

Georgian Christmas preparations 

This part of the post shows how you can celebrate it like a local if you are staying in Tbilisi or want to bring Georgian festivities wherever in the world you are. 

Preparation for Georgian New Year and Christmas shopping in Tbilisi starts mid-December. However, many families, including mine, do things last minute, particularly buying fresh products. However, there are a few things you can do beforehand. 

Buying Christmas tree

You can get artificial or natural trees in Tbilisi. Purchasing a natural one can be tricky because some are cut illegally, so be careful when buying. 

Some real Christmas trees come with roots, so you can replant them in the garden or put them in a pot. You can also find cut trees mounted on wooden stands. 

The best area to buy cheap Christmas trees in Tbilisi is near Station Square and Dezerter Bazaar. I have also seen trees sold at various parts of the city, including Didube Bus Station. Prices vary depending on the size. And if you want to buy only part of the tree, vendors also sell individual branches. 

Homeware shops like Gorgia and Domino also sell artificial and potted trees. Home and garden shop Super also has artificial ones, and so do Carrefour, Jysk, and other hypermarkets and shops. 

Chichilaki – Georgian Christmas Tree

Along with traditional, green Christmas trees, Georgians like to put up Chichilaki. It is made from a hazelnut tree, where the branch is shaved to have curly strings and resemble a coniferous tree. 

Usually, flowers and dried fruit adorn Chichilaki instead of sparkly ornaments. It comes in different sizes, and prices differ according to its size. We typically put small or medium-sized ones either next to the green Christmas tree or somewhere on the shelves in the living room. 

When the festive days are over, before January 19, we burn Chichilaki as a symbolic expression to leave the past year’s misfortunes in the past.

Getting Christmas decorations 

Many stores start to display Christmas-themed items early in December. Almost every shop and hypermarket has dedicated shelves for decorations. 

If you are looking for Christmas-themed kitchen utensils, stores of Super at various locations and Home on the ground floor of Galeria shopping mall are two places I recommend. Carrefour Hypermarkets also has some reasonable quality kitchen utensils and decorations. Even a bookstore like Biblusi has some Christmas decorations on display. 

For vintage decorations, head to the Dry Bridge flea market. Various artists at Christmas Markets in Tbilisi also sell handcrafted artisanal decorations and souvenirs. I explain where to go for those markets below.

Buying turkey and other products

If you are familiar with Georgia, you know we don’t use turkey in everyday Georgian cuisine. We only cook a turkey for the New Year’s Eve feast. 

The best way to get turkey is at Dezerter or Navtlughi bazaars, but note that on those days, both markets look like slaughterhouses with all sorts of animal meat sold at every centimeter. Not a pleasant scenery to see! 

Your neighborhood butcher can also have one, so it’s better to ask them beforehand. Alternatively, a few shops have turkey during Christmas or can deliver upon request – Agro Meat Market, Tserti, and Butchery.ge. You can also find fresh or frozen turkey in Carrefour, Agrohub, Godwill, and Gastonome supermarkets. 

Making Churchkhela

Churchkhela is a traditional Georgian sweet made from grape juice and nuts. Georgia’s eastern region uses walnuts and western hazelnuts. 

Since most Georgian families make wine at home, they also have the leftover grape juice from the winemaking process called badagi. 

While you can buy a good Churchkhela in various shops in Tbilisi, making them is an easy and fun experience. We always make Churchkhela at home a few weeks in advance, typically in mid-November, so it has enough time to air dry.

Christmas traditions in Georgia and the dates 

This section explains each date of the Georgian Christmas season and why they are so important. I also talk about some traditions and customs we have in my family. 

December 25 – Georgians don’t typically celebrate this day

I already mentioned above that Georgians celebrate Christmas on a different day than the rest of the world, who follow the Gregorian Calendar. 

However, that was not the case from the start, and we celebrated Christmas like the rest of the world on December 25. We even have a Georgian song with lyrics stating that Christ was born on December 25. Listen to the song on YouTube. 

Things changed when Georgia became part of the Soviet Union in 1922. Religion was banned in the Soviet era, as were all the religious celebrations, including Christmas. Therefore, all the festivities were moved to a later date – December 31. 

That said, some families bring back the old tradition and mark Christmas on December 25 and January 7. 

Those who want to listen to the Catholic mass in Tbilisi, St. Peter and Paul Apostles’ Church in Chughureti, near Fabrika Tbilisi, hold mass on December 24 eve.

If you want to attend Christmas Eve dinner in Tbilisi, a few expat-focus restaurants organize it, including ATI Restaurant at Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace Hotel, Cafe Littera, and Organique Jasper Bar. I’d suggest to monitor Facebook for such events.

December 31 – New Year’s Eve

New Year in Georgia is celebrated similarly to the rest of the world. However, we have two dates, and I will explain below. The biggest and most important one is the eve of December 31. 

We spend this day preparing meals for the evening. This is the day all family members come together to help each other with meal preparation, decorations, and other household chores. 

When it comes to the Christmas tree, every family has a different date to set up and decorate it. My family does it on December 30. 

The dinner table is set up very late at night, around 11 pm., but no one congratulates each other until 12:00:01 am when New Year ‘actually’ arrives. 

Sparkling wine is popped open, and everyone cheers congratulatory words Happy New Year in Georgian, followed by a small toast expressing a hope that the year ahead will bring happiness, prosperity, and peace both in their homes and the whole country.

To congratulate everyone in Georgian, you can say Gilotsav Shoba-Akhal Tsels, an extended version of Marry Christmas and Happy New Year. You can shorten it to say Gilotsav Shobas for Christmas and Gilotsav Akhal Tsels for New Year. 

Fireworks on December 31

A few days before the New Year, you’ll hear fireworks going off as they are sold in every size and shape at every corner of the country. It culminates on New Year’s Day and Eve. Sadly, we don’t have an official fireworks display show.

The minute it gets dark on December 31, the fireworks slowly get intense and continue for an hour or two after midnight.

Imagine every family celebrating New Year’s Eve in Tbilisi or elsewhere, lighting fireworks from their windows, balconies, and rooftops at midnight. It’s a fascinating and beautiful scenery, but it gets incredibly intense for ears and animals. 

Many activists are protesting against individual fireworks sending-offs or fireworks in general, but to this date, they have been unsuccessful. Three years ago, I personally banned fireworks in our house. 

The best place to watch fireworks in Tbilisi is any location with a great city view. Narikala, Mtatsminda, Betlemi Rise Street, and Betlemi Church Viewpoint are the most popular spots. 

On New Year’s Eve in Tbilisi, working hours for public transport are extended and are usually free, so getting to those areas should be easy if you can’t get a taxi. 

Menu of New Year’s Eve 

Every region has its own customs and Christmas traditions in Georgia, including the New Year’s Eve menu. And since the capital is the melting pot, there is no specific Christmas food in Tbilisi. Every family does something differently. 

That said, while the traditional menu can differ from family to family, these are a few Georgian staple foods we all do for the evening dinner. 

Satsivi is a turkey meat-based cold stew in walnut sauce. My siblings and I didn’t eat turkey as kids, nor did we like cold stews, so my mom swapped it with chicken and replaced it with a hot version of a similar dish called Kharcho.

Suckling piglet is another staple, typically baked in the oven for several hours or a day before. Another version is to ask your neighborhood tone bread baker if they do it. Some bakeries even have a printed paper put up on a display that says გოჭის შეწვა (Gotchis Shetsva). 

Honestly, we stopped baking it as the prices for the piglet rose incredibly, and it has almost no meat, only crusty skin, fat, and a light layer of meat. 

Pkhali is a Georgian appetizer and a general term for vegetables seasoned with walnut paste. We typically make Eggplant, Pumpkin, and Red Bell Pepper Pkhali at home. Even though I love spinach, we stopped making one as it’s more time-consuming and requires too much spinach for a decent portion. 

No Georgian dinner is complete without traditional Khachapuri – a cheese pie. Everyone does whatever kind of Khachapuri they like for New Year’s Eve dinner. We love my mom’s half-puff-pastry Khachapuri packed with cheese. 

Apart from Georgian meals, we have a few remnants of the Soviet era. Olivie is the local name of a Russian salad that calls for boiled potatoes, carrots, and eggs, cucumber pickles, canned peas, onion, and tons of mayonnaise. We don’t like using too much mayonnaise, so we either do it reasonably or mix it with sour cream for added texture and taste. 

Holodets is an aspic cold appetizer made from meat stock and a few vegetables. Think of it as a savory jello. 

Hren is a horseradish sauce explicitly made for Holodets. To best describe this to you, consider it a mixture of wasabi and mustard. Since only my parents like Holodets, we stopped making it for the past few years. 

However, remember that this is not typically the end of the dinner menu; more food will be on the table depending on the family and their customs. 

As for the desserts and sweets, there is a separate small table set for them, usually the coffee table with a big vase full of fresh and dried fruits. Next to it, you’ll find a plate full of nuts, dried fruits (mainly figs, persimmons, and black plums), wrapped-up candies, and Churchkhela, a candle-shaped sweet snack made from walnuts/hazelnuts and grape juice. 

The most important dessert for Georgian Christmas is Gozinakhi, which is made of caramelized honey and walnuts. Unfortunately, stores don’t sell Gozinakhi, and the only way to try it is to either make it yourself or be invited to a Georgian family. 

And lastly, there could also be Pelamushi, a grape juice pudding made from white and red grapes thickened with corn flour. This is typical for the western side of the country, while eastern regions make the same dessert they call Tatara but thicken it with wheat flour. 

Christmas Gifts and Georgian Santa

After enjoying a bit of dinner, it’s time to exchange gifts. Gift-giving is not a big deal or ceremony in Georgia. However, children always get gifts from family members, thinking that Santa brought those gifts. As for the adults, it depends on the family and their desire, but it’s not mandatory or customary.

We also have our own version of Santa Claus called Tovlis Babua, or Snow Granpa. Tovlis Babua comes from the mountain region of Svaneti, wears traditional Georgian clothes – a felt coat and a hat – and carries sweets and candies in a saddle bag rather than material gifts.

Candy exchanging with strangers and friends

When going out on New Year’s Eve and any other day during the festive season, one of the Christmas activities in Tbilisi and across the country is to exchange single-wrapped candies with strangers and people you know. 

Therefore, have your pockets always full of such candies, and don’t be alarmed if a taxi driver hands you one or the neighbor you haven’t seen for the entire year surprisingly knocks on your door to give you sweets and candy. 

Where to party on New Year’s Eve in Tbilisi

After celebrating the New Year with family, we tend to go out and party with friends. Sometimes, we attend various events organized by restaurants, bars, and clubs or gather at one of our friends’ houses. 

A New Year Gala concert at First Republic Square featuring Georgian singers starts a few hours before midnight every year. 

Restaurants and bars usually organize special dinners for those who want to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Tbilisi in a different environment. Typically, these dinners have set menus and offer live music from local or international artists and a DJ later in the evening. 

Many of the places haven’t yet announced the events for New Year’s Eve, so monitor Facebook for the events. Also check Tkt.ge for special New Year and Christmas events in Tbilisi. Tbilisi Events in English Facebook group is another resource for ideas on what to do for Christmas and New Year in Tbilisi. 

January 1 – Tradition of Mekvle

This is a superstitious habit but a favorite Christmas tradition for many. Meklve is the first guest after New Year’s Eve, thought to bring goodwill and happiness to the hosts. In the past, Meklve was a male guest who would bring sweets and fruits to the family. But nowadays, gender does not matter. 

Back in the day, every family tried to have a person with positive emotions and character so that the person’s personality impacted the year ahead. They would plan who they wanted to be their Mekvle and deliberately invite them to the house. Nowadays, though, the custom has changed slightly, and people often do not think much about it.

My mom considered my brother the luckiest person among us, and she thought he had a good aura and would bring good fortune to the family, so she would ask him to go outside after the clock struck midnight, and we all cheered Gilotsav Shoba-Akhal Tsels and come back in a minute or so. I still don’t believe it was right to ask a family member who was already inside the house and make that person your Mekvle. 

January 2 – Day of Faith 

Georgians are firm believers in fate, and we even have a date to celebrate it – January 2, called Bedoba in Georgian. 

This one is my favorite among all the Georgian Christmas traditions and customs. On this day, everyone tries to make the best out of it by doing anything they enjoy to affect the year ahead. 

Everyone spends this day among family, friends, and loved ones in happiness and joy. 

So if you are spending Christmas in Tbilisi, plan a special day for yourself – be it a spa treatment or a visit to sulfur baths, a shopping spree, a casual dinner at Tbilisi restaurants, or a coffee date with some friends, you are not limited on doing anything that makes you happy. 

I had a friend who once wanted to travel a lot in the upcoming year, so she went to an airport and spent some time there. 

January 7 – Georgian Christmas 

Christmas in Tbilisi starts on the eve of January 6 when believers gather in Holy Trinity Cathedral to attend a mass and listen to the Patriarch. The procession lasts until the very early morning of January 7, like 5 or 6 am. 

There is no extraordinary spectacle to see or experience, but you are welcome if you still want to see it. Just follow the usual dress code for both genders to enter Georgia churches. 

We celebrate Christmas on January 7 by spending time with family. There is no special meal for Christmas as opposed to the New Year, but my family bakes a particular type of Khachapuri. 

My father is from the Guria region, western Georgia, and it is customary to bake Guruli pie – Khachapuri with boiled eggs – my favorite type of Khachapuri. We follow this tradition every single year!

On this day, Tbilisi also hosts a religious parade in its streets called Alilo. Locals dress in unique costumes, carry Georgian flags, religious icons, and crucifixes, and march from the center of Tbilisi, typically from the First Republic Square, toward Holy Trinity Church, singing Georgian Christmas carols and songs. 

If you want to, you can bring clothes, food, and other donations to First Republic Square. These will be later distributed to those in need through the Church. 

The parade typically starts around 12-1 pm on January 7. It’s free to attend, and even follow the group as they walk if you want to. 

January 14 – Old New Year

According to the Julian Calendar, the New Year falls on January 13, but we celebrate the Old New Year on January 14. It is not a public holiday, and the celebrations or meals are not grand. It’s just a simple meal with family to end the almost two-week-long Christmas and New Year festivities.

January 19 – Orthodox Epiphany

Orthodox Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus and officially ends all the festive days of the Georgian Christmas season. 

By January 19, all the Christmas decorations must be taken down, including lights. This is a day to burn your Chichilaki, let go of the misfortunes and troubles of the past year, and welcome the new year with a fresh start. 

If you don’t know where to burn Chichilaki, you can donate it to the Zoological Center or Tbilisi Zoo, which has a bear shelter – apparently, many animals play with Chichilaki. 

Christmas in Tbilisi: lights and markets

Due to the current protests happening in Georgia, many vendors and businesses boycotted participation in these markets. You can read more about what’s going in Georgia on my daily summery posts I write on Facebook under #RFDProtests2024

There is no special event or countdown for turning Christmas lights on in the city; it just turns on, and that’s it. Typically, the exact date for turning these lights on changes yearly and is only announced a few weeks before. 

In 2024, it was scheduled for December 6, but due to the ongoing prostests it was lit up on December 16 without any ceremony. From this day onwards, you can walk through various neighborhoods in Tbilisi to look for illuminated displays. 

Every year, Freedom Square and the St. George statue have a big display and words notifying the year’s theme. Rustaveli Avenue usually has the most prominent Christmas decorations in Tbilisi, both above the avenue and on its sidewalks. 

The Orbeliani Square and Atoneli Street also have cute lights and a few displays. Kostava and Melikishvili streets, as well as Chavchavadze and Tsereteli Avenues, also feature various decorations. 

Every year, we recycle some Christmas lights and decorations displayed in Tbilisi that later go to either other districts in Tbilisi or cities in Georgia. 

Independent private companies and City Hall organize Christmas Markets in Tbilisi on various dates. The state-organized markets open on December 21 at Orbeliani Square and Dedaena Park and last until January 15. You can find food stalls, drink mulled Saperavi, and shop for handcrafted Georgian souvenirs.

If you are looking for Christmas activities for kids in Tbilisi, these markets have a few scheduled during the day. Independent businesses also announce some kid-friendly activities for the Christmas season, so I advise you to watch the Facebook events page. 

Visiting various Christmas Markets is one of my favorite things to do in Tbilisi during the festive season. It is one of the prime spots to get Christmas gifts and souvenirs from Tbilisi to your loved ones back home. 

Many businesses still need to announce their Christmas events, so I will be updating this post regularly to give you relevant info.