With the holidays fast approaching, a sense of magic sweeps through the heart of Nicosia, transforming this historic city into a Mediterranean winter wonderland. Here, Christmas is more than just a holiday—it is an invitation to experience warmth and tradition with a Cypriot twist.

Lively Christmas villages appear, surrounded by the scent of mulled wine and melomakarona, twinkling lights, with sunny days and crisp nights for all to enjoy a plethora of outdoor markets and remarkable cultural performances. Nicosia may surprise you as a Christmas destination, yet its blend of rich heritage, heartfelt traditions, and genuine holiday warmth makes it one of Europe’s hidden seasonal gems.

Enchanting Christmas villages

Every winter, central Nicosia dressed up in the spirit of the season, as Nicosia Municipality hosts the Laiki Geitonia Christmas Village. A traditional downtown neighbourhood converts into a festive hub with crafty stalls, colourful decorations and shops offering handmade crafts, artisanal goods and local delights. This year, it will be on from November 23 to January 6, offering a series of creative events and workshops on Cypriot tradition, choir performances, live music, puppet theatre, and of course, visits from Santa.

Dotted around town are dozens of Christmas markets that are on every weekend. Big and small, in the Old Town and the modern centre, local artists showcase their creations to visitors buying their Christmas gifts. The city’s artisan community is alive and beating during this time of the year and many are those who make the switch and choose to shop local, supporting small businesses.

Of course, it is not just the heart of Nicosia that celebrates Christmas, the festivities extend all around the district. In the rural village of Fikardou, the Fikardou Medieval Christmas Village spreads the holiday cheer in a truly Cypriot manner.

It dresses its charming cobblestone alleys with fairy lights, baubles, and wooden stalls selling Cypriot treats. For 50 days, (running from late November to early January), the village’s traditional houses host crafty workshops showing visitors age-old crafts and entertainment featuring the island’s musicians. And all for free! A road trip to the Village during Christmas offers an alternative and more wintery festive experience in the Nicosia suburbs.

Culture shines bright

Throughout the winter months, the capital city’s cultural agenda comes to life even more. Christmas concerts, carolling, recitals, ballet shows bringing timeless classics to the stage and heartwarming theatre shows, pack each week with something for culture lovers to enjoy. For majestic nights of classical music, exploring the concerts by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, to outstanding productions as part of the Nicosia International Festival.

Meanwhile, the city’s many galleries and museums – the A.G. Leventis Gallery, the Leventio Municipal Museum of Nicosia in Laiki Geitonia and CVAR-Severis Foundation on Ermou Street, as well as independent artists’ studios – host creative festive fun. There are plenty of hands-on workshops during this period, where participants of all ages can learn new art skills and make their own Christmas gifts and wreaths or spend a few hours indulging in the leisurely feeling of the season with local art. Some have more of a traditional feel embedding local art, history and Cypriot Christmas customs, whereas other workshops bring global festive fun to Nicosia.

An annual staple, returning for the 16th year is the Christmas Fun Fair, also known as Paramythoupoli for locals, taking over D’Avila Moat from November 15 to January 12. A large Ferris wheel, adrenaline-filled amusement rides, food stalls serving both Cypriot delights and international bites, mulled wine and photo booths add to the city’s festive spirit.

Christmas gastronomy with a Cypriot twist

Nicosia is emerging as a culinary destination with the 2024 Culinary Capital certification now under its belt. During the holiday season, its diverse range of restaurants and cafés add seasonal dishes to their menus infused with local ingredients and recipes. On the drinks front, this period is certainly the universal time to sip on nutty mulled wine, and there is also a similar local winter drink. Zivanomelo is warm zivania with hot honey, a sweet and spicy drink to keep you warm. It is a local recipe that turns the Cypriot pomace brandy into a Christmas treat.

Homes, cafés and confectionaries fill their trays with traditional Cypriot sweets, such as the syrupy melomakarona and powdered sugar kourabiedes biscuits. Be sure to try them for a real home-like feeling and, for suggestions of where to go, explore the establishments mentioned in Taste Nicosia, the Nicosia Tourism Board’s ultimate guide to eating and drinking your way through the city.

Nicosia’s gastronomic Christmas experiences do not end there, however. As the year comes to a close, grandmothers and bakeries are busy preparing the vasilopita, an orange and mastic-flavour cake, which hides a lucky coin. When families gather for a big, luscious New Year’s Day lunch, they cut it up in pieces and the one who finds the coin is blessed for the entire year. You, too, can try your luck in the vasilopita tradition by grabbing a cake from one of the city’s many bakeries and do like the Nicosians do.

Season of religious devotion

Christmas in Nicosia is a deeply spiritual time as well as rooted in Greek Orthodox traditions. Churches such as Faneromeni and Chrysaliniotissa in the Old Town are adorned beautifully for candle-lit services, age-old rituals are revived in kitchens and there is a joyous spirit around, as the faithful prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Religious sites host festive services sharing the season’s teachings, singing religious hymns and passing on blessings with the Holy Communion. It is a wonderful time to visit the churches as a serene and jubilant atmosphere engulfs them. You can find many of the dozens of churches dotted around the Old Town on the Visit Nicosia website.

Nicosia is also home to diverse faiths, many of which also celebrate Christmas. Outside the Venetian walls, St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral often hosts festive bazaars, carolling evenings and services, as does the Holy Cross Catholic Church, an architectural marvel from 1642 behind Paphos Gate.

For the Greek Orthodox community, the Christmas season begins with a fasting period from mid-November to December 24. The faithful embark on a spiritual preparation, abstaining from meat and dairy mainly, to cleanse body and spirit in anticipation of Christmas. The fasting period ends on Christmas Day with a big family lunch of meat, potatoes, vegetables and wine. The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services are two of the most significant ones, as well as Epiphany Day on January 6, which celebrates the baptism of Jesus with water blessings.

A Christmas destination for all

Christmas in Nicosia offers something for everyone—whether you’re an art lover, a foodie, on a family vacation, or simply seeking holiday cheer. From the city centre to its charming suburbs, Nicosia’s diverse character shines through in its festive experiences.

With mild winter weather, a welcoming spirit and a warm holiday atmosphere, Nicosia blends European Christmas magic with Cypriot hospitality and tradition, transforming into a Mediterranean winter wonderland. It is a rising capital city at which to indulge in festive celebrations for an unforgettable Mediterranean holiday.

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