Cyprus is a magical place for Christmas and New Year.
Spending Christmas in Cyprus is a very fulfilling experience involving hearty Cypriot food, adornments, festive traditions and warm weather. If you’re lucky enough to spend the festive season on the wonderful island of Cyprus, you’ll find plenty of familiar Christmas traditions being followed, but also some that might be new to you… All towns, village and houses will decorate just the same as everywhere and nearly all restaurants and bars will have special Christmas menus (turkey, ham and other traditional food and fare). Many restaurants will open for Christmas day and New Years eve, but it is advisable to make an advance booking as these fill up quite fast.
Warm weather and celebrations in the sun!
Cyprus has over 330 sunny days a year. December temperatures average 19C during the day and 10C during the evenings. Most days the weather is still good enough to grab a few hours sunbathing but you will require a light jumper or jacket for the evenings.
Compared to most of Europe Cyprus offers an amazing climate for this time of the year. Imagine celebrating Christmas with a BBQ surrounded by family & friends. Whilst it is winter and there is always a small possibility of rain, it would most likely rain for just an hour or two and then the sun comes out. It is extremely rare for it to rain all day for a week as in other parts of europe. Sea temperatures in Cyprus stay warm well into the winter months and you will even find a charity swim in most towns on boxing day.
Cyprus average Sea Temperatures
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| °C | 17.7 | 16.9 | 17.2 | 17.9 | 20.8 | 24.4 | 27.2 | 27.8 | 26.9 | 24.8 | 21.9 | 19.4 |
| °F | 63.9 | 62.4 | 63 | 64.2 | 69.4 | 75.9 | 81 | 82 | 80.4 | 76.6 | 71.4 | 66.9 |
Jingle all the way to the Cyprus Christmas Villages!
Discover seven beautiful traditional villages and towns of Cyprus, which in turn will wow you with an array of authentic Christmas experiences to participate in and where you will make memories to last a lifetime! Agros, Derynia, Fikardou, Lefkara, Kalopanagiotis, Kyperounta and Laiki Geitonia (Lefkosia) put on their finest festive attire to spread the Christmas spirit, impressing locals, foreigners, young and old alike.
Cultural events, stands with local products and handicrafts, gastronomy and crafting workshops, organized activities in nature, guided village tours, local restaurants and hotels with delicious holiday menus and many other surprises await to be discovered for a unique Cypriot Christmas experience.
When is the Festive Season in Cyprus?
The festive season in Cyprus typically starts from the 21st of December until Epiphany, the 6th of January the following year. During the period of 21th of December to the 6th of January, all public schools and institutions close. The key holiday dates in Cyprus
Throwing a cross in the sea (Epiphany Day)
In the Orthodox tradition, 6 January is the date of Christ’s baptism, and large-scale celebrations take place at local harbours to honour the water, a traditional symbol of christening. A bishop throws a cross in the sea and dozens of people dive into the cold January water to find it. The person who finds it is blessed by the church and is said to have a lucky year ahead.
