Christmas is celebrated by Zanzibar's Christian minority, roughly 3-4% of the population, in a place where most people are Muslim. It's still a festive time for locals and visitors alike, and here is what it typically looks like:
Christmas on Zanzibar
Christian communities attend services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, usually at Catholic or Anglican churches such as the Christ Church Cathedral in Stone Town, with singing, music and decorated churches. Like most places, it's also a time for family — shared meals, gifts, and dishes such as grilled fish, pilau (spiced rice with meat) and fresh fruit. In Stone Town and other larger areas, hotels, restaurants and shops catering to tourists often put up decorations, and small private celebrations are common. Traditional songs and dances blending Christian customs with local African traditions add to the atmosphere, and since Zanzibar is a popular holiday destination, many hotels and resorts run their own Christmas events and buffets, sometimes attended by locals as well as guests.
Christmas is far less widespread here than in a majority-Christian country, but the way it's marked reflects the island's generally warm, multicultural character.
Christmas at Matlai
Three kinds of guests tend to book this period: people escaping the holiday rush at home, people who simply want somewhere warm, and people who don't celebrate Christmas at all but use the days off for a trip. Everyone is welcome — we offer a six-course menu on request, which non-hotel guests can also book at the restaurant with a prior reservation.
New Year's Eve in Zanzibar
New Year's Eve is celebrated in a mix of ways across the island, blending local tradition with international influence. Common elements include:
- Beach parties — Zanzibar's beaches are a popular backdrop, with hotels, resorts and bars hosting live music, DJs and traditional Ngoma dancing.
- Special menus — many restaurants and resorts serve New Year dinners built around fresh-caught fish and seafood.
- Cultural performances — Taarab music and local dance or drumming shows are common at some venues.
- Stone Town street parties — smaller, informal gatherings bring locals and tourists together in the historic centre.
- A quieter alternative — since Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim, not everyone marks New Year in the Western style; for many it's simply an evening with family, or a barbecue on the beach.
New Year's Eve at Matlai
Guests are invited to a multi-course barbecue at Zatiny, our restaurant, followed by a gathering on the beach where guests and staff dance around a bonfire to traditional drumming. A staff acrobatics performance is part of the evening too. The New Year itself is welcomed, in Matlai's own small tradition, with a fire, champagne and a cake.
Between the relaxed island pace, the cultural mix, and the international guests who bring their own traditions along, Christmas and New Year's Eve here end up feeling like their own thing entirely.