Festivals and celebrations
The days a community stops, gathers and celebrates.
Festivals and celebrations are the days when a community stops its work, dresses up, eats together and makes noise. They may mark a season, a saint, a victory or just the pleasure of being together. From Carnival and Holi to Songkran and Oktoberfest, they show a place at its most generous and expressive. Many have religious roots, others are civic or seasonal, and a good number began as local fairs and grew famous. This page lists them by country, month and meaning, with notes on food, costume and music.
What makes a festival
Most festivals share a few features: a set date, a procession or gathering, special food, music and dance, a costume or colour, and an element of play. Some invert the usual order, letting servants command and the young tease the old, as at Carnival and Purim. Others are solemn, with lamps, silence or fasting. Whatever the tone, a festival gives people a shared memory, and the preparations, from cooking to costume making, are part of the pleasure.
Local and global
A festival that began in one village may now draw millions, and migrants carry festivals to new countries, where they take on new forms. Diwali is celebrated in London and Singapore, St Patrick's Day in Buenos Aires and Tokyo, Lunar New Year in Sydney and New York. At the same time, many small local festivals survive, and EveryParampara records these too, because a village fair is as much a part of the world's heritage as a great carnival.
About this page
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Festivals and celebrations (kind of tradition). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreHoly WeekἉγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς
The solemn seven days leading to Easter, recalling the final week and Passion of JesusSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇮🇩 IndonesiaOgoh-ogohᬳᭀᬕᭀᬄᬳᭀᬕᭀᬄ
Giant handcrafted statues paraded and burned on the eve of the Balinese Saka New YearFestival
🇹🇱 Dili, Timor-Leste and 1 moreTais
Traditional hand-woven cloth of East Timor, worn as dress or used in ceremonies and exchange.Dress
🇹🇭 Phon Phisai, Thailand and 1 moreNaga fireballsบั้งไฟพญานาค (bang fai phaya nak)
A festival of glowing orbs rising from the Mekong River, attributed to a mythical serpent.Festival
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreDikir baratDikir Hulu / Dikir Barat
A group singing art from the Malay Peninsula where verses are traded back and forth in a witty lyrical duel.Performance
🇵🇭 Manila, Philippines and 1 moreSimbang Gabi
A nine-day series of early morning Masses held in the Philippines to prepare for Christmas.Festival
🇱🇦 Laos and 1 moreBaciບາສີ (Lao)
A Lao rite that calls the soul home and ties a thread on the wrist for good luckSpiritual
🇲🇲 Yangon, MyanmarThadingyutသီတင်းကျွတ်
A Burmese celebration and calendar month marking the completion of Buddhist Lent.Seasonal
🇸🇬 Singapore, SingaporeNational Day Parade
Singapore's annual independence day celebration of parades, music and fireworksCeremony
🇻🇳 Hoa Lư, VietnamChèo嘲
Satirical folk musical theatre performed by village troupes across northern VietnamPerformance
🇲🇲 Bagan, MyanmarNat worshipနတ်
Veneration of guardian spirits and nature deities alongside Buddhism in MyanmarSpiritual
🇵🇭 PhilippinesPandanggo
A lively Philippine folk dance of quick steps, clapping and balanced lightsPerformance
🇵🇭 Philippines and 1 morePangalay
A traditional fingernail dance of the Tausūg and Bajau peoples in the Sulu Archipelago and Sabah.Performance
🇵🇭 Marinduque, PhilippinesMoriones Festival
A Holy Week reenactment in Marinduque where masked participants search for the Roman centurion Longinus.Festival
🇵🇭 Manila, Philippines and 5 moreNovena
A nine-day Christian prayer tradition for petitions, feasts, or mourning.Spiritual
🇮🇩 IndonesiaPasola
A ritual horseback spear contest in western Sumba marking the rice-planting seasonGame
🇮🇩 Bali, Indonesia and 1 moreLegonglégong
A refined Balinese dance of intricate finger movements and expressive gestures, kept in Indonesia.Performance
🇲🇲 Mandalay, Myanmar and 2 moreSand pagodaသဲပုံစေတီ (Burmese), พระเจดีย์ทราย (Thai)
Temporary sand or mud structures built by Theravada Buddhists to cultivate merit and honor the Buddha.Spiritual
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 2 moreNgajatTanda Ngajat
A traditional folk dance of the Iban people in Sarawak and Borneo, mimicking birds and warriors.Performance
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaPenjorᬧᬾᬜ᭄ᬚᭀᬃ
A curved bamboo pole decorated with leaves and offerings, raised in Bali to mark Galungan and invite prosperity.Spiritual
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai, Thailand and 5 moreLoy Krathongลอยกระทง
A Thai festival of floating leaf baskets on rivers to honor water and release negativity.Festival
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNyepiᬜᬾᬧᬶ
A Balinese Hindu day of silence, fasting and stillness marking the Saka new yearSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreMāgha Pūjāមាឃបូជា
A Buddhist holy day honoring monastic unity, moral guidance and spiritual fellowshipSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇲🇲 Yangon, MyanmarThingyanသင်္ကြန်
A four-day water festival marking the Myanmar New Year, celebrated in April with merit-making and playful splashing.Festival
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKathina
A Buddhist season of offering new robes and gifts to monks after the rains retreatSpiritual
🇻🇳 VietnamHùng Kings' Temple FestivalLễ hội đền Hùng
A Vietnamese national festival honoring the legendary founding kings with temple worship and processions.Festival
🇵🇭 Cebu City, Philippines and 4 moreSinulog Festival
An annual Philippine dance festival and Catholic devotion honouring the Santo NiñoFestival
🇱🇦 Luang Prabang, Laos and 5 moreLao New Yearປີໃໝ່ລາວ
A mid-April water festival and Buddhist celebration marking the Lao new yearFestival
🇸🇬 Singapore, SingaporeNational DayHari Kebangsaan Singapura
Singapore's annual civic holiday celebrating its national sovereignty on 9 AugustCeremony
🇰🇭 Siem Reap, CambodiaCambodian New Yearបុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី ប្រពៃណីជាតិ
A three-day harvest festival marking the traditional solar new year across CambodiaSeasonal
🇲🇾 Penampang, MalaysiaKaamatanTadau Kaamatan
An annual May harvest celebration of thanksgiving and community across Sabah, MalaysiaSeasonal
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreLebaranHari Raya Lebaran
Indonesia's festive season of homecoming, seeking forgiveness and shared feastsFestival · Breakfast
🇰🇭 Phnom Penh, Cambodia and 1 moreBon Om Toukបុណ្យអុំទូក
A three-day Cambodian festival of dragon boat races, floating lanterns and moon offeringsFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇩 IndonesiaGalungan
A Balinese Hindu festival welcoming ancestral spirits and honouring good over evilSpiritual
🇵🇭 Kalibo, PhilippinesAti-Atihan
A week of drumbeats, street dancing, and devotion to the Infant Jesus in AklanFestival
🇵🇭 Baguio, PhilippinesPanagbenga Festival
A month-long flower festival and parade in the mountain city of BaguioFestival
🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaSekatenꦱꦼꦏꦠꦺꦤ꧀
A week-long Javanese royal festival and market honouring the birth of the ProphetFestival
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreGawai DayakAri Gawai
An annual harvest and thanksgiving festival of the Dayak peoples in BorneoSeasonal
🇮🇩 IndonesiaBau Nyale
An annual night-time gathering on Lombok to collect spawning sea worms from the shoreFestival
🇵🇭 Iloilo City, PhilippinesDinagyang FestivalDinágyang
An annual festival of drumming, street dance and devotion to the Santo Niño in Iloilo.Festival
🇻🇳 VietnamTếtTết Nguyên Đán
The Vietnamese festival of the lunar new year, welcoming spring with family gatheringsFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇵🇭 Manila, PhilippinesFlores de Mayo
A month-long Philippine festival of daily Marian prayers, flower offerings and pageantsFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇵🇭 PhilippinesFilipino wedding customsKasalan
A blend of indigenous rituals and Christian traditions marking the union of two families in the Philippines.Rite of passage
🇻🇳 Hội An, VietnamTết Trung Thu節中秋
A mid-autumn festival of lanterns, mooncakes and folklore celebrated across VietnamFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇻🇳 Huế, VietnamTraditional Vietnamese wedding
A Vietnamese wedding: two families joined through proposal, engagement and ceremonyRite of passage
🇮🇩 Jakarta, Indonesia and 3 moreRijsttafel
Many small dishes around rice: a colonial-era banquet still served in the NetherlandsTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇵🇭 San Fernando, Philippines and 3 moreParolparól
A Filipino star lantern of bamboo and paper, hung at Christmas from September to JanuaryFestival
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaTumpengꦠꦸꦩ꧀ꦥꦼꦁ (Javanese); ᬢᬸᬫ᭄ᬧᭂᬂ (Balinese)
A tall cone of rice ringed with side dishes, central to Javanese ceremonies and partiesTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Pangalay: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nyepi: Matt Croxson, Public domain, source
- Loy Krathong: John Shedrick, CC BY 2.0, source
- Holy Week: Anonymous ( Maasland ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kathina: Thai Government, CC BY 2.0, source
- Māgha Pūjā: myself, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- National Day: Brian Jeffery Beggerly, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cambodian New Year: Sam Sith, CC BY 2.0, source
- Kaamatan: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Galungan: Davidelit, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sekaten: Kembangraps, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gawai Dayak: Zahirulnukman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tết Trung Thu: The imperial government of the Nguyễn Dynasty, French Indo-China., Public domain, source
- Flores de Mayo: Markytour777, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tết: vi:Lưu Ly, Public domain, source
- Dinagyang Festival: Bernardo 'Berniemack' Arellano III, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ati-Atihan: Bernardo "Berniemack" Arellano III, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Baci: Dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- Nat worship: Emily Khine, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ogoh-ogoh: Simondodit, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pandanggo: John Charlton, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chèo: Thomas Schoch, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- National Day Parade: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Thadingyut: Aungzawtoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Simbang Gabi: Avito C. Dalan for the Philippine News Agency, Public domain, source
- Dikir barat: SMK SERI MAHKOTA, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Naga fireballs: J A Forbes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tais: Daderot, CC0, source
- Penjor: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ngajat: Menuaibansarawak, CC0, source
- Sand pagoda: Chainwit., CC BY 4.0, source
- Legong: P. (Paul) Spies (Fotograaf/photographer)., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pasola: Fakhri Anindita, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Novena: Catedrales e Iglesias/Cathedrals and Churches, CC BY 2.0, source
- Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
- Rijsttafel: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Parol: Ervin Malicdem, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tumpeng: brother-harahap, CC BY 2.0, source
- Moriones Festival: EMMAN A. FORONDA, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lao New Year: Darren On The Road, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bau Nyale: Focusfeel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Panagbenga Festival: lolay, CC BY 2.0, source
- Sinulog Festival: Herbert Kikoy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hùng Kings' Temple Festival: Xuannguyen1133, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lebaran: Nurudin Jauhari, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bon Om Touk: Codas, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Thingyan: Pagan era painter(s), Public domain, source
- Filipino wedding customs: John Ryan Cordova, CC BY-SA 2.0, source