Georgian Christmas Traditions: How Locals Celebrate January 7th

If you arrive in Georgia in late December expecting Christmas celebrations, you will find the country quiet. Shops are open, streets are ordinary, and nobody seems particularly festive. Then January 7th arrives — and everything changes. For visitors used to a December 25th Christmas, this timing catches many off guard, and some leave Georgia before the real celebration even begins. This guide explains what Georgian Christmas actually looks like, why it happens when it does, and how to be part of it rather than just watch it from the outside.

The Date: Why Georgian Christmas Falls on January 7th

The Georgian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar that most of the world follows. The Julian calendar runs 13 days behind the Gregorian one, which is why December 25th on the Julian calendar lands on January 7th in the Gregorian calendar that your phone uses.

This is not a Georgian quirk. The same applies to Russian, Serbian, Ethiopian, and other Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar. What makes Georgia’s version distinctive is the depth of religious feeling attached to it. Georgian Christmas — called Kristesshoba (კრისტეშობა) — is not primarily a commercial holiday. There are no Georgian equivalents of Black Friday Christmas sales or gift-exchange traditions on the same scale as in Western Europe. The day is rooted in the church, in family, and in ritual.

January 1st is celebrated in Georgia as the secular New Year, called Akhali Tseli, and that is when gifts, parties, and Tovlis Papa (Father Frost, the local Santa figure) appear. Christmas on January 7th sits separately — a genuinely religious occasion with its own traditions, its own food, and its own energy.

Alilo: The Christmas Procession That Fills the Streets

The most visible Christmas tradition in Georgia is Alilo — a procession that takes place on the morning of January 7th. The word itself comes from the biblical “Hallelujah,” transformed over centuries of Georgian liturgical singing into this shortened form.

Alilo begins early. In Tbilisi, the main procession starts at the Sameba Cathedral (Holy Trinity Cathedral) and moves through the city centre, drawing thousands of participants and onlookers. People — many wearing white robes over their winter coats — carry crosses, icons, candles, and Georgian flags. Priests lead the way. Choirs sing traditional Christmas hymns in the layered, resonant style of Georgian polyphonic singing, a sound completely unlike anything from the Western choral tradition. The voices stack on top of each other in harmonies that feel ancient, because they are.

Children participate in large numbers. Many carry small cloth bags and collect donations of sweets, fruit, and small gifts from people along the route — food that is traditionally given to the poor and to orphanages. The charitable dimension of Alilo is not performative; Georgians take it seriously as an act of community giving.

The procession creates a particular atmosphere on a cold January morning. Breath mists in the air, candle flames flicker against grey winter light, and the sound of hundreds of voices singing in harmony carries down narrow Tbilisi streets lined with wrought-iron balconies. Standing on the pavement as Alilo passes is one of the more affecting experiences Georgia offers to winter visitors.

Alilo processions also happen in Kutaisi, Batumi, Mtskheta, and many smaller towns. Mtskheta — Georgia’s ancient capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — holds a particularly meaningful Alilo given its status as the spiritual centre of the Georgian Orthodox Church. On the night before, the Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II holds a midnight liturgy at Sameba Cathedral that is broadcast live on Georgian national television and watched by millions at home.

What Georgians Eat on Christmas (and the Fasting That Comes Before)

Georgian Orthodox Christmas is preceded by the Advent fast, known locally as the Christmas Lent or Shoba’s Fast. It runs for 40 days before January 7th, beginning in late November. Observant Georgians avoid meat, dairy, and sometimes fish during this period — varying in strictness depending on the individual and the week.

When the fast breaks on Christmas morning, the table that follows reflects the relief and joy of the occasion. The Christmas meal is a full supra — Georgia’s ritual feast with multiple dishes, toasts led by a tamada (toastmaster), and hours at the table with family.

Traditional Christmas dishes include:

• Gozinaki — the defining Christmas sweet. Walnuts are caramelised in honey and pressed into flat, brittle slabs that are cut into diamond shapes. The smell of honey and toasted walnut is the scent of Georgian Christmas in most households. Gozinaki is made in large batches starting in late December and eaten throughout the New Year and Christmas period.
• Churchkhela — strings of walnuts dipped in thickened grape juice (tatara), dried into long candle-shaped forms. These are made during the autumn Rtveli grape harvest and stored for the winter holidays.
• Lobiani — a bread filled with spiced kidney beans, often eaten during fasting periods and continuing onto the Christmas table.
• Roasted pork or turkey — as the fast breaks, meat returns to the table in quantity. Whole roasted pig is traditional in many Georgian households, particularly in regions like Racha and Imereti.
• Badrijani nigvzit — fried aubergine rolls filled with a walnut-garlic-herb paste, a Georgian staple that appears at almost every important feast.

Wine is central to the Christmas supra. Georgia’s winemaking tradition stretches back 8,000 years, and opening a good bottle of Saperavi or a home-made amber wine for Christmas is treated as seriously as any other element of the meal.

Chichilaki: Georgia’s Unique Christmas Tree

While plastic and pine Christmas trees have become common in Georgian homes — especially after the 1990s when Western influences increased — the traditional Georgian Christmas decoration is the Chichilaki (ჩიჩილაკი).

A Chichilaki is made from the shaved wood of a hazelnut or walnut branch. The wood is carefully curled into intricate white spirals, building up into a shape that resembles a small, feathery tree. The result looks like something between a sea urchin and a white coral — entirely unlike a conventional Christmas tree.

Chichilaki are traditionally decorated with small fruits, sweets, and sometimes tiny icons. After Epiphany (January 19th, which Georgians call Natlismtsmeli or the Baptism of Christ), the Chichilaki is burned — symbolically carrying away the troubles of the past year.

In 2026, handmade Chichilaki are sold at winter markets in Tbilisi, particularly around Dry Bridge market and in the Old Town area in late December and early January. They are popular with visitors as souvenirs, though the larger, more elaborate versions are delicate and difficult to transport.

How to Experience Christmas as a Visitor in 2026

Georgia in early January 2026 is genuinely accessible for international visitors. Wizz Air, Georgian Airways, and several other carriers continue to operate direct routes from European cities to Tbilisi International Airport, and from the UK, Turkey, and the UAE to Kutaisi. Flight volumes in early January are lower than peak summer season, which typically means more reasonable prices.

January 6th and 7th are public holidays in Georgia, so government offices, banks, and many businesses are closed. Most restaurants, supermarkets, and tourist sites remain open. Public transport — including the Tbilisi Metro — runs on a holiday schedule, meaning slightly reduced frequency rather than full suspension. The metro’s expanded network, which added two new stations on the eastern line in 2025, now makes reaching Sameba Cathedral from central Tbilisi more straightforward than it was in previous years.

If you want to experience Christmas in a smaller, more intimate setting, consider the town of Sighnaghi in Kakheti, or Mtskheta just outside Tbilisi. Both have local Alilo processions and a quieter atmosphere than the capital. The Georgian Railway runs regular services between Tbilisi and Mtskheta, and the journey takes under 30 minutes.

One practical note: if you are invited into a Georgian home for Christmas, bring a gift — wine, sweets, or flowers work well. Remove your shoes at the door unless indicated otherwise. Expect to stay for hours, eat more than you planned, and hear toasts that grow more elaborate as the evening continues. Refusing food repeatedly will concern your hosts; the phrase “gmadlobt, tav-motani var” (thank you, I’m full) said with genuine warmth usually lands better than a flat refusal.

2026 Budget Reality: What Christmas in Georgia Costs

January is one of Georgia’s more affordable months for visitors, sitting outside the summer peak and the heavy ski season rush.

Accommodation (per night, Tbilisi)

• Budget: Hostel dorm bed — 40–70 GEL
• Mid-range: Guesthouse or 3-star hotel — 150–250 GEL
• Comfortable: Boutique hotel or 4-star — 300–500 GEL

Food and drink

• Budget: Bakery breakfast (shotis puri bread + tea) — 8–15 GEL; canteen lunch — 20–35 GEL
• Mid-range: Full dinner with wine at a neighbourhood restaurant — 60–100 GEL per person
• Comfortable: Dinner at a well-regarded Tbilisi restaurant with wine — 150–220 GEL per person

Christmas-specific items

• Gozinaki (300g bag) at a market: 12–20 GEL
• Chichilaki (small, handmade): 30–80 GEL
• Churchkhela (per string): 5–15 GEL
• Church candle offering: 1–5 GEL

Transport

• Tbilisi Metro single journey: 1 GEL
• Tbilisi to Mtskheta by marshrutka: 1.50 GEL
• Tbilisi to Sighnaghi by shared taxi: 25–35 GEL

Overall, a visitor spending carefully in Tbilisi over the Christmas period can manage on 120–180 GEL per day including accommodation, food, and local transport. Mid-range comfort costs 250–400 GEL per day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is January 7th a public holiday in Georgia?

Yes. January 7th (Christmas) and January 19th (Epiphany/Natlismtsmeli) are both official public holidays in Georgia. Banks, government offices, and schools are closed. Most shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions remain open, though hours may be reduced on Christmas Day itself.

Can tourists attend the Christmas liturgy at Sameba Cathedral?

Yes, visitors are welcome. The midnight liturgy on January 6th–7th is open to the public. Dress modestly — women must cover their heads, and knees and shoulders must be covered by everyone. Arrive early as the cathedral fills quickly. The service lasts several hours and is conducted in Old Georgian.

Do Georgians exchange gifts on January 7th?

Gift-giving in Georgia is primarily associated with the New Year (January 1st) rather than Christmas. The Christmas celebration on January 7th is more religious and family-focused, centred on church attendance, the Alilo procession, and the family feast. Small sweets and treats are shared, but large gift exchanges are less common on this day.

What is the best city in Georgia to experience Orthodox Christmas?

Tbilisi has the largest and most dramatic Alilo procession, centred on Sameba Cathedral. Mtskheta, Georgia’s ancient religious capital just 20 kilometres from Tbilisi, offers a more intimate and historically resonant celebration. Both are worth considering depending on whether you prefer scale or atmosphere.

📷 Featured image by Daniela Becerra on Unsplash.