Thanksgiving in Cyprus 2026: Where Americans and Friends Celebrate

Thanksgiving is on Thursday 26 November 2026, and in Cyprus it is an ordinary working day. There is no parade and no long weekend, but there is a lively American community, a well-known gala dinner in Nicosia, schools that mark the day and plenty of Cypriot, British and other friends happy to be invited to a turkey dinner. Here is how to celebrate Thanksgiving in Cyprus, what was confirmed when we checked on 19 October 2026, and how to plan your own dinner.

Is Thanksgiving a holiday in Cyprus?

No. Cyprus has no public holidays in November: the official 2026 list goes from Ohi Day on 28 October straight to Christmas Eve. Offices, banks, shops and public schools work as normal on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 November, and Friday 27 November is Black Friday (see our Black Friday in Cyprus guide).

That is why most expat Thanksgivings in Cyprus move to the weekend. Saturday 28 or Sunday 29 November gives everyone time to cook, travel across the island and enjoy a long lunch without anyone having to be at work the next morning.

The AmCham Thanksgiving Gala Dinner

The biggest public Thanksgiving event in Cyprus is the annual gala dinner of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cyprus (AmCham Cyprus), the business association that links Cypriot and American companies.

In 2025 it took place on Tuesday 2 December at the Hilton Nicosia, starting at 20:00, under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Tickets cost €120 for members, €140 for non-members and €1,080 for a table of ten, with bookings closing on 24 November. The President of the Republic attended and spoke, and the US Embassy's chargé d'affaires brought greetings from the ambassador. In 2023 the dinner was held on Wednesday 29 November, also at the Hilton Nicosia.

It is a formal, business-networking evening rather than a family meal, but it is open to non-members and is a good way to meet the American business community and Cypriot companies that work with the US. The 2026 date had not been announced on 19 October 2026; AmCham posts its events on its website, and in late September 2026 it welcomed the new US Ambassador, John Breslow. If you are new to Cyprus and want to build a network, our guide to business clubs and networking groups lists other chambers too.

Do American schools in Cyprus close for Thanksgiving?

Some do. The American Academy Larnaca, a private school, listed "Thanksgiving Holiday – School Closed" on 27 and 28 November 2025 in its school holidays. We could not see its 2026 calendar, so check with the school.

The American International School in Cyprus (AISC), in Ayioi Omologites, Nicosia, was founded in 1987 and teaches a US curriculum alongside the International Baccalaureate. Its 2026-27 calendar is on its website.

Public Cypriot schools and most British-curriculum private schools are open as normal. If your children are at one of them, a weekend celebration is the practical choice. Our guide to international schools in Cyprus compares curricula and fees.

Can you go out for Thanksgiving dinner in Cyprus?

Do not count on it. Thanksgiving is not part of Cypriot culture, and when we checked on 19 October 2026 no Cyprus restaurant or hotel had announced a Thanksgiving menu for 2026. Venues that have done it before do not always repeat it: in 2023, for example, Loft, the 12th-floor restaurant at the University of Nicosia's Six Residences, held a Thanksgiving dinner on the Thursday evening. Menus like that tend to be announced only a week or two before. If you want to eat out:

• Check the social media pages of the restaurants you like from mid-November.
• Ask a hotel or restaurant whether it can prepare a roast turkey for a group booking, giving plenty of notice.
• Book for the weekend rather than the Thursday, when restaurants are quieter and kitchens have time.

How to host Thanksgiving at home in Cyprus

Most Thanksgivings in Cyprus are home-made, and they tend to become wonderfully mixed affairs, with Cypriot neighbours, British colleagues and friends of every nationality around the table. A few local tips:

Get the turkey early

In Cyprus, turkey is above all a Christmas meat: the Cyprus Food Museum notes that turkey with stuffing has become an essential part of the modern Cypriot Christmas table. In November, a month earlier, whole birds can be harder to find on the shelf. Order a fresh or frozen turkey from your local butcher or a supermarket meat counter a week or two ahead and say what weight you need. Frozen British-brand products, including the Iceland range, are distributed in Cyprus to selected retailers, so ask in the frozen section of larger supermarkets.

Watching the NFL on Thanksgiving from Cyprus

On 26 November 2026, Cyprus (on winter time since 25 October) is seven hours ahead of New York. The three Thanksgiving games are:

The early game fits nicely after dinner; the late one is for the truly dedicated. Sports bars such as The Flying Pig in Kato Paphos and TAPS Irish Bar in Agios Tychonas, Limassol, say they show a wide range of international sport, but neither mentions American football specifically, so ask them in advance whether they will put the NFL on.

Help from the US Embassy

Thanksgiving is a US federal holiday, so check the US Embassy's website before planning any consular visit that week. The US Embassy in Nicosia (Metochiou and Ploutarchou Street, Engomi) handles passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, Selective Service registration, absentee voting information through FVAP and emergencies such as arrests, deaths or crimes. The number is +357 22 393939, which also works after hours.

The State Department rates the Republic of Cyprus at Level 1, "exercise normal precautions", and recommends that Americans living or travelling abroad enrol in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts. If you are new to Cyprus, read our guides to residency permits and taxes for new residents.

What to do next

• Follow AmCham Cyprus for the 2026 gala dinner date.
• Order your turkey by mid-November and plan a weekend date for guests.
• Plan the rest of the season with our December in Cyprus and Christmas in Cyprus guides.