Public Holiday Calendar Guide for Georgia
Georgia has a nationally defined public-holiday calendar that combines civic commemorations, family observances and major feasts of the Georgian Orthodox tradition. The Labour Code sets out the statutory holidays, including a movable Easter period, and also establishes the employment rules that apply when work is performed on those days. [1]
How Georgia's Public Holidays Are Defined
Georgia's Labour Code provides the core nationwide list of statutory holidays. It includes New Year observances, Christmas and Epiphany, Mother's Day, International Women's Day, commemorations connected with Georgian independence and national unity, Victory Day over Fascism, Independence Day, and several important Orthodox Christian feasts. Family Purity and Respect for Parents Day is also included in the statutory list. [1]
The Easter period is treated differently from the fixed observances because its calendar dates move from year to year. The statutory holiday period covers Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and the following Monday, which the Labour Code identifies with remembrance of the deceased. Readers planning around Easter should therefore use the applicable annual calendar rather than assuming fixed Gregorian dates. [1]
Orthodox Christianity in the Holiday Calendar
The prominence of Orthodox feasts is one of the distinctive features of Georgia's holiday calendar. In addition to Christmas, Epiphany and Easter, statutory holidays include the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, commonly known as Mariamoba; Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba, associated with Svetitskhoveli and the Robe of Christ; and St. George's Day. The calendar also recognizes a religious observance connected with Georgia's tradition as the portion of the Holy Mother and the commemoration of St. Andrew the Apostle. [1]
These observances are part of the statutory holiday framework rather than merely church-calendar events. This matters for visitors and businesses because a religious feast can have the same labour-law significance as a secular national holiday. [1]
Civic and Commemorative Observances
Georgia's secular holidays reflect several different aspects of national and social life. Independence Day is a major state observance, while another statutory holiday commemorates the restoration of independence together with national unity, national consent and those who died for Georgia's national integrity. Victory Day over Fascism is separately included in the Labour Code. [1]
The calendar also gives statutory status to Mother's Day and International Women's Day. As a result, Georgia's official holiday system is broader than a calendar limited to religious feasts and state anniversaries. [1]
Working on a Public Holiday
Work performed on a statutory holiday is treated as overtime under the Labour Code. Overtime must be compensated at an increased hourly rate, with the amount determined by agreement between the parties. The law also permits the parties to agree on additional time off as compensation for overtime work. [1]
The Labour Code further allows an employee to request alternative rest days instead of the statutory holidays, with the arrangement defined in the employment agreement. This means the legal framework provides some contractual flexibility rather than requiring every employee to take precisely the same statutory days as time away from work. [1]
Additional Days Off and Practical Planning
The statutory list is not necessarily the complete set of non-working days that may apply in a particular period. The Labour Code authorizes the Government of Georgia to designate additional days off by ordinance. For a government-designated additional day off, an employer may in circumstances permitted by the Labour Code require the employee to work instead on the employee's next rest day. [1]
For practical planning, distinguish permanent statutory holidays from additional days off announced by the government and from the movable Easter period. Employers, employees and travellers making plans well in advance should check the applicable official calendar and any government ordinances rather than treating an arrangement announced for one period as a permanent feature of Georgia's holiday system. [1]
Frequently Asked Questions about Holidays in Georgia
Are Georgia's Easter holidays fixed to the same calendar dates every year?
No. The Labour Code expressly treats the Easter holidays as movable. The statutory period includes Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and the following Monday, so their calendar dates should be checked for the relevant year. [1]
What happens if an employee works on a statutory holiday?
Work on a statutory holiday is treated as overtime. The Labour Code requires overtime to be compensated at an increased hourly rate determined by agreement between the parties, and the parties may instead agree on additional time off as overtime compensation. [1]
Can an employee take different rest days instead of the listed public holidays?
Yes. The Labour Code allows an employee to request other rest days in place of the statutory holidays, with the arrangement determined by the employment agreement. [1]
Can Georgia declare additional days off beyond the statutory holiday list?
Yes. The Labour Code allows additional days off to be established by an ordinance of the Government of Georgia. Because such measures may be specific to a particular period, they should be checked against the relevant official government measures rather than assumed to recur every year. [1]
Sources
- ORGANIC LAW OF GEORGIA – LABOUR CODE OF GEORGIA- Legislative Herald of Georgia (Matsne)