Holidays and days off
When banks and government offices close, what Batumi celebrates and why days off are not moved.
checked in August 2026Georgia has 18 official non-working days a year, ahead of almost all of Europe. Most are church holidays: banks, government offices and some shops close, while cafés and transport run as usual.
📅 Public holidays
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1–2 January | New Year and Bedoba |
| 7 January | Orthodox Christmas |
| 19 January | Epiphany |
| 3 March | Mother's Day |
| 8 March | International Women's Day |
| 9 April | Day of National Unity and Remembrance |
| April, movable | Easter: Good Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday |
| 9 May | Victory Day |
| 12 May | St Andrew the First-Called Day |
| 26 May | Georgian Independence Day |
| 28 August | Mariamoba — the Dormition of the Mother of God |
| 14 October | Svetitskhovloba — the Feast of the Robe |
| 23 November | Giorgoba — St George's Day |
🎊 Celebrated but not days off
14 January — the Old New Year
Marked at home and among friends, but a working day.
27 January — Ninooba
The day of St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia. A church feast, with services.
February — Berikaoba and Lamproba
Old folk festivals with masks and torches, celebrated more vividly in the villages than in town.
6 May — the spring Giorgoba
The second St George's day of the year, for the country's patron saint.
🏖 What Batumi celebrates
🎆 Batumoba — the city's day
Adjara's biggest celebration, in early September. Concerts, fireworks, crowds by the sea, brass bands and street musicians. Europe Square, the Old Town and the boulevard turn into one stage: theatre, fairs and food courts.
- When:
- early September, the date is announced in advance
🇬🇪 26 May — Independence Day
The symphony orchestra and folk ensembles play around the city, along with the Batumi Music Centre choir.
🍇 Rtveli — the grape harvest
Not a date in the calendar but a season, September to October. Adjara's villages press grapes and lay tables, and visitors are welcome to help.
🏙 Tbilisoba
Tbilisi's city day in early October — the best excuse for a weekend in the capital.
🧭 What to plan around
- Banks and the House of Justice are closed — plan document errands around the dates in the table.
- Cafés, shops and transport run, often for longer than usual.
- Accommodation and tickets get dearer on long weekends, especially Easter and early May.
- Churches are crowded on feast days — if you are going to watch, come early.
- Fireworks and loud music are normal at Batumoba and New Year — worth knowing if you sleep lightly.