Georgian holidays for businesses: what to post and when

Holidays are the easiest content of the year to plan, because you know the dates months ahead. Yet many business pages remember them on the day itself and post a rushed greeting card. By then customers have already made their plans and bought their gifts.

This guide walks through the main Georgian holidays and widely known observances, with what a local business can post before each one. Always check the official list of public holidays for the current year, as days off can change.

Plan ahead: the simple rule

For each holiday, think in three steps:

• One to two weeks before: announce offers, gift ideas, holiday menus or booking deadlines.
• One or two days before: post opening hours and last-minute reminders.
• On the day: a short, sincere greeting. No hard selling.

Opening hours posts are often the most useful thing you publish all month. Nobody likes arriving at a closed door.

Winter: New Year to Epiphany

• New Year, 1 and 2 January. The biggest gifting and celebration season. Start posting gift ideas, pre-orders and holiday menus in early December. Bakeries can take orders for gozinaki and festive cakes; shops can post gift guides by budget in GEL.
• New Year's Eve, 31 December. Last-minute gifts, opening hours, restaurant bookings for the night.
• Orthodox Christmas, 7 January. A family and church holiday. Keep the greeting warm and respectful; Alilo processions are part of the day in many towns.
• Old New Year, 14 January. Not a day off, but widely celebrated, especially in Russian-speaking circles. A light, friendly post works.
• Epiphany (Natlisgeba), 19 January. A public holiday and religious feast. A respectful greeting is enough for most businesses.

Spring: March to May

• Valentine's Day, 14 February. Not a public holiday, but popular with cafés, florists, restaurants and gift shops.
• Mother's Day, 3 March. A public holiday and a big day for flowers, sweets, beauty services and gift cards. Post gift ideas a week ahead.
• International Women's Day, 8 March. Also a public holiday. Salons, florists and restaurants should open bookings early.
• National Unity Day, 9 April. A day of remembrance. A quiet, respectful post or no post at all is appropriate; avoid promotions.
• Georgian Language Day, 14 April. An observance rather than a day off. A nice moment to share a favourite Georgian word or phrase related to your business.
• Orthodox Easter. The date moves every year, so check the calendar each spring. Several days around Easter are public holidays. Bakeries can post paska pre-orders, shops can post dyed-egg kits and table decor, and everyone should post holiday hours.
• Victory Day, 9 May, and St. Andrew's Day, 12 May. Public holidays; post opening hours and a short greeting if it fits your audience.

Summer and autumn

• Independence Day, 26 May. A national holiday with celebrations in Tbilisi and other cities. A proud, simple greeting fits most businesses; cafés and restaurants can post opening hours for the long day.
• Mariamoba, 28 August. The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, a public holiday. Many families travel or visit churches; post hours and a respectful greeting.
• Rtveli, September to October. The grape harvest season. Great for wine bars, restaurants, guesthouses in Kakheti and any business with a food angle.
• Svetitskhovloba (Mtskhetoba), 14 October. A public holiday centred on Mtskheta. Businesses near Mtskheta should prepare for visitors.
• Tbilisoba, in autumn. The Tbilisi city festival; the exact dates are announced each year, so confirm before posting. Tbilisi businesses can tie in events and special offers.

Late autumn: Giorgoba and the run-up to New Year

• Giorgoba, 23 November. St. George's Day, a public holiday and the name day for the many people called Giorgi. Restaurants can promote family tables; gift shops can post name-day gift ideas.
• Late November to December. Time to start New Year content: gift guides, corporate orders, party bookings and decorated interiors.

Getting the tone right

• Religious holidays call for warm, respectful greetings, not discount-heavy posts on the day itself.
• Remembrance days, like 9 April, are not marketing moments.
• Post in the languages your customers speak. Tourists in Batumi may appreciate English or Russian.
• Use your own photos where possible, not generic holiday stock images.

Tomorrow, 3 March, we are open from 10:00 to 20:00. Fresh tulips and peonies are ready, and you can pre-order a bouquet today for pickup in the morning.

Start this week

1. Open your calendar and mark the next three holidays relevant to your business.
2. For each, schedule one offer post, one opening hours post and one greeting.
3. Check this year's Easter date and the official public holiday list.
4. Prepare your New Year content in early December, not on 30 December.

For a full yearly plan, read planning a year of seasonal marketing. SocialAI knows the Georgian holiday calendar and prepares holiday posts in advance, so you only check and approve them.