Christmas with Kids in Cyprus 2026: Family Plans, Christmas Villages and Activities

The easiest Christmas plan with children in Cyprus is a day at one of the nine official Christmas Villages, open from 21 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, followed by a town tree lighting or Santa event closer to home. Most of these are free, outdoors and over by early evening, which suits small children.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Only the Christmas Villages and a few shows are confirmed for 2026 so far. Where we describe a town or mall event, we give what happened in 2025 so you know what to expect, and we will add 2026 dates as they are announced.

When does Christmas start in Cyprus?

The season opens in late November and runs to Epiphany on 6 January. In 2025 the Limassol Marina tree was lit on 22 November and Nicosia's programme opened with the Eleftheria Square tree lighting on 23 November, with activities every weekend until Epiphany. The Christmas Villages start on 21 November 2026.

School holidays

In 2025-26, public primary schools broke up on 22 December and reopened on 7 January; public secondary schools were off from 24 December to 6 January. We could not find the Ministry of Education's 2026-27 dates yet, so check your school's calendar. Private and international schools set their own breaks.

Which Christmas Villages are best for children?

The Deputy Ministry of Tourism's Christmas Villages programme turns nine villages into festive destinations with decorations, stalls of local products and crafts, cooking and craft workshops, nature activities and guided tours. For 2026-27 they are:

The official 2026 opening days and hours were not published when we checked. In 2025 the villages opened at weekends and on public holidays, then every day from 22 December to 6 January. Our Christmas Villages guide has each village's official page.

Tips for children: arrive early afternoon so you see the stalls in daylight and the lights at dusk, pack hats and gloves for the mountain villages, and bring a pushchair that can handle cobbles, or a baby carrier.

Christmas with kids, city by city

None of these had announced 2026 dates on 19 October 2026. Use the 2025 editions as a guide and check our events page from mid-November.

Nicosia

In 2025 the municipality's programme ran from 23 November to Epiphany, with the Eleftheria Square tree and Christmas village, Fairytale Town, children's parades and Cinderella at the Municipal Theatre. A Christmas Fairyland with fairground rides ran in the historic moat from 20 November 2025 to 11 January 2026, and the Eleftheria Square Christmas Market (free entry) had creative workshops for children on selected days. The Mall of Cyprus opened a free Rooftop Christmas from 12 to 31 December 2025, 16:00–23:00, with an Elves' Workshop, Santa's Post Office, magic shows and Santa himself from 27 to 30 December. More in Christmas in old Nicosia.

Limassol

Limassol Marina lit its tree on 22 November 2025 with a children's craft workshop, carols and Santa handing out gifts. In 2025 there was also a "Magic of Christmas" event in Agios Tychonas with Santa photos, magicians and face painting, children's activities at Limassol Mall, the Old City Xmas Fest at the Anexartisias market, a kids' train on Anexartisias Street and a free Christmas Wonderland in Ypsonas. See Christmas in Limassol.

Larnaca and Famagusta district

In 2025 Larnaca Christmas Land at Europe Square, by the Finikoudes seafront, opened in late October with rides aimed at children aged about 3 to 8. The town also had a Christmas market at Zouhouri Square on three December weekends and a Christmas Parade on 20 December, and nearby Pyla held a children's Christmas party with a bubble show and Santa's gifts. The Larnaka Tourism Board events calendar lists them when they are announced.

In the Famagusta district, CyHerbia botanical park in Avgorou held a Christmas Festival on 13 and 14 December 2025, with its maze, elf games, magic shows, Santa, Mrs Claus and the Grinch, for €7–10. Ayia Napa Marina ran a Christmas Village on weekends from 29 November to 28 December 2025 with workshops, a bouncy castle and Santa.

Paphos

Paphos lit its tree in Kennedy Square on 28 November 2025 with a Santa parade. The district's official Christmas Village is Statos-Agios Fotios in the hills. For English-speaking families, Stage One Theatre in Emba staged a Christmas pantomime, Old Mother Hubbard, from 10 to 13 December 2025, with children's tickets at €8.

Christmas shows for children

• Confirmed for 2026: the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) is staging a new Little Red Riding Hood in Greek, on Sundays at 10:30 in Nicosia from 18 October 2026, touring to Paphos on 7 November, Larnaca on 14 November and Limassol on 21 November. Performances on 21 November and 6 December have English and Turkish surtitles.
• In 2025 there was The Nutcracker at the Pattihio theatre in Limassol on 14 December and a free Cyprus Christmas Parade in Nicosia the same day. The 2026 Christmas programmes of Pattihio, Rialto and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra were not published when we checked.

Will there be snow in Troodos?

Maybe. Visit Cyprus says snow on Troodos usually starts before Christmas, but it is not reliable. In the 2025-26 season, only one slope, Sun Valley I, opened, on 14 January 2026, and the other slopes did not have enough snow. When snow does fall, police often close the roads to Troodos to cars without snow chains or four-wheel drive, as they did on 12 January 2026. Check the Department of Meteorology forecast and police announcements before you drive up.

Weather: December on the coast is mild, with daytime highs around 17–19°C and lows around 7–10°C, but the mountains are much colder: at Prodromos, December averages about 8°C in the day and 2–3°C at night. December rainfall averages about 105 mm across the island, so have a rainy-day plan.

Cypriot Christmas traditions children love

• Kalanda: on Christmas Eve children go from door to door singing carols and asking "na ta poume?" ("shall we sing them?"). Keep coins or sweets by the door.
• Agios Vasilis: in the Greek Orthodox tradition, St Basil brings the presents on 1 January.
• Vasilopita: the New Year cake is cut at the family gathering, with slices for Christ, St Basil and the household; whoever finds the hidden coin (flouri) has good luck all year.
• Sweets: melomakarona and kourabiedes are on every table; baking kourabiedes together is an easy activity for children.
• Epiphany (6 January): priests throw a cross into the sea and swimmers dive to retrieve it. In 2026 the state ceremony was at Paphos harbour, with others in Ayia Napa harbour and at Athalassa lake in Nicosia.

What to do next

• Pick a Christmas Village for a weekend in late November or December, or for the daily opening from 22 December.
• Check our events page for 2026 tree lightings and Santa dates as they are announced.
• More family ideas: things to do with kids in Cyprus, Christmas in Cyprus and our guide to hosting visiting family at Christmas.