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.
🇯🇴 Amman, JordanJordan Short Film Festivalمهرجان الأردن للفيلم القصير
Amman's annual gathering for independent short cinema from Jordan and across the worldFestival
🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsTangomagia
An annual Amsterdam tango festival held in the last days of DecemberPerformance
🇦🇴 Luanda, AngolaLuanda International Jazz Festival
An annual jazz gathering staged in the capital of AngolaPerformance
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 5 moreGargee'anقرقيعان
A mid-Ramadan night when children sing at doors for sweets and nutsFestival
🇰🇷 Busan, South KoreaBusan Sunrise Festival부산해맞이축제
A bell rung in Busan on 31 December, then the year's first sunrise at the beachSeasonal
🇯🇴 Amman, JordanAl-Balad Music Festival
A multi-day summer music festival held in the historic open-air theatres of AmmanPerformance
🇪🇹 EthiopiaGifaataaጊፋታ
The annual New Year celebration of the Wolayta people in southern EthiopiaSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇧🇿 BelizeSeptember Celebrations
Belize's two national holidays, eleven days apart, marked by parades and CarnivalCeremony
🇨🇲 Bafoussam, CameroonNyang Nyang FestivalNyan-Nyang
A four-month Bamileke harvest festival and initiation rite in western CameroonFestival
🇨🇱 ChileFiesta de La Tirana
A week-long pilgrimage and dance festival in northern Chile honoring the Virgin of Mount Carmel.Festival
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkCopenhagen Distortion
A week of street parties, club nights and a rave in Copenhagen celebrating new dance music.Festival
🇳🇵 NepalPatukaपटुका
A traditional Nepalese cloth sash worn for core support, carrying items and festivitiesDress
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceNyansapo Festival
A French festival celebrating Black feminism and empowering diasporic women.Festival
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreEidiyahعيدية
The holiday custom of presenting cash and gifts to children and relativesFestival
🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaAlgiers International Comics FestivalFestival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Alger
An October comics festival in Algiers, with awards for work from AfricaPerformance
🇻🇳 Tuyên Quang, VietnamCây nêuCây nêu (Chữ Nôm: 核標)
A bamboo pole raised in Vietnam to mark the New Year and protect homes from bad spirits.Festival
🇯🇵 JapanTairyō-bata大漁旗
Traditional Japanese flags flown by fishing boats to celebrate a bountiful catchFestival
🇮🇷 Kashan, IranOmar Koshanعمرکشان
A yearly carnival in Iran where social roles reverse to honor Fatima al-Zahra and remember historical figures.Festival
🇪🇸 SpainGragerגראַגער (grager)
A noisemaker used by Jewish communities to drown out the name of Haman during Purim readings.Festival
🇧🇫 Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina FasoNational Culture Week of Burkina Faso
A week of free shows and contests in Bobo-Dioulasso, held every two yearsFestival
🇮🇸 IcelandIcelandic weddings
A blend of church rites and long feasts, where guests sit by family lines and gifts are saved for the morning.Rite of passage · Dinner
🇬🇧 United KingdomWelsh danceDawns Gymreig
Traditional dances of Wales, known for their athletic steps and revival after a period of decline.Performance
🇦🇪 Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesSir Bu Nair Festival
An annual maritime gathering celebrating seafaring and island conservation in SharjahFestival
🇧🇼 Molepolole, BotswanaDithubaruba Cultural Festival
An annual gathering in Botswana that celebrates the customs, music, and history of the Bakwena people.Festival
🇰🇪 Rusinga Island, KenyaRusinga Cultural Festival
Two December days of Suba music, boat races and food on Rusinga Island in KenyaFestival
🇮🇹 Gubbio, Italy and 1 moreSaint Ubaldo DayFesta dei Ceri
A May procession in Gubbio where three teams carry tall wooden ceri to a hilltop basilicaSpiritual
🇸🇿 EswatiniBuganu Festival
A three-day festival in Eswatini where women brew buganu from marula fruitFestival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇪🇸 Córdoba, Spain and 5 moreFiesta de las Cruces
A May festival where communities decorate crosses with flowers and crafts to celebrate faith and local heritage.Festival
🇮🇹 Turin, Italy and 5 moreMary Help of ChristiansSancta Maria Auxilium Christianorum
A Christian feast and devotion honouring Mary as a protector, observed on 24 MaySpiritual
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNational costume of IndonesiaPakaian Nasional Indonesia
The formal attire worn by Indonesians to represent the nation's diverse cultural heritage.Dress
🇬🇧 York, United KingdomYorkshire Day
A yearly civic observance on 1 August to honour the historic county of Yorkshire and its people.Festival
🇹🇳 La Goulette, TunisiaOur Lady of Trapani procession (Tunis)
A Catholic festival in La Goulette honoring the Virgin Mary, once shared by Christians and Muslims.Festival
🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaPadusan
A Javanese purification bath kept by the Abangan community before Ramadan begins.Spiritual
🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram, IndiaPongala
A harvest offering of sweet rice porridge prepared by millions of women in South IndiaFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreFeast of Saint Thomas Aquinas
An annual Christian feast day honouring the medieval theologian Saint Thomas AquinasSpiritual
🇪🇬 Alexandria, EgyptSerapia
A Roman state feast for the god Serapis, kept on 25 April in Egypt and at RomeSpiritual
🇵🇭 Philippines and 1 moreMass of the Lord's Supper
An evening liturgy marking the start of the Easter Triduum and recalling Jesus' final meal with his followers.Spiritual
🇸🇰 SlovakiaJasličkári
A Slovak Christmas custom of young men acting out the Nativity from house to houseFestival
🇷🇸 Belgrade, Serbia and 5 moreSerbian traditional clothingсрпска народна ношња (srpska narodna nošnja)
The regional folk attire of Serbs, featuring wool, linen, and leather, worn for celebrations and cultural identity.Dress
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyVenus Verticordia
A Roman cult of Venus as the turner of hearts, kept by married womenSpiritual
🇩🇪 Überlingen, GermanyÜberlinger HänseleHänsele
A masked carnival figure kept by male citizens in Überlingen, Germany, during Fasnet and summer processions.Festival
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreYom HaHatzalahיום ההצלה
A Sat Hasidic holiday marking the rescue of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum from the Holocaust on the 21st of Kislev.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 morePurim costume
The Jewish custom of wearing masks and disguises during the festival of PurimDress
🇦🇹 Bludenz, AustriaBludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik
An international festival of contemporary classical music held annually in BludenzPerformance
🇿🇼 Harare, ZimbabweHarare International Festival of the Arts
An annual week-long celebration of music, dance, theatre and art in Harare, ZimbabwePerformance
🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaCaracas Pride
An annual pride march in Venezuela calling for equal rights for LGBTQ communitiesCeremony
🇺🇸 New York, United StatesBark Mitzvah
A lighthearted coming of age celebration held by dog owners for their petsFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreStag and doe
A Canadian fundraising party for an engaged couple, featuring games, food, and raffles to help pay for the wedding.Festival · Dinner
🇰🇷 Busan, South KoreaBusan Sunrise Festival부산해맞이축제
A bell rung in Busan on 31 December, then the year's first sunrise at the beachSeasonal
🇯🇴 Amman, JordanAl-Balad Music Festival
A multi-day summer music festival held in the historic open-air theatres of AmmanPerformance
🇪🇹 EthiopiaGifaataaጊፋታ
The annual New Year celebration of the Wolayta people in southern EthiopiaSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇧🇿 BelizeSeptember Celebrations
Belize's two national holidays, eleven days apart, marked by parades and CarnivalCeremony
🇨🇲 Bafoussam, CameroonNyang Nyang FestivalNyan-Nyang
A four-month Bamileke harvest festival and initiation rite in western CameroonFestival
🇨🇱 ChileFiesta de La Tirana
A week-long pilgrimage and dance festival in northern Chile honoring the Virgin of Mount Carmel.Festival
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkCopenhagen Distortion
A week of street parties, club nights and a rave in Copenhagen celebrating new dance music.Festival
🇳🇵 NepalPatukaपटुका
A traditional Nepalese cloth sash worn for core support, carrying items and festivitiesDress
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceNyansapo Festival
A French festival celebrating Black feminism and empowering diasporic women.Festival
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreEidiyahعيدية
The holiday custom of presenting cash and gifts to children and relativesFestival
🇩🇿 Algiers, AlgeriaAlgiers International Comics FestivalFestival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Alger
An October comics festival in Algiers, with awards for work from AfricaPerformance
🇻🇳 Tuyên Quang, VietnamCây nêuCây nêu (Chữ Nôm: 核標)
A bamboo pole raised in Vietnam to mark the New Year and protect homes from bad spirits.Festival
🇯🇵 JapanTairyō-bata大漁旗
Traditional Japanese flags flown by fishing boats to celebrate a bountiful catchFestival
🇮🇷 Kashan, IranOmar Koshanعمرکشان
A yearly carnival in Iran where social roles reverse to honor Fatima al-Zahra and remember historical figures.Festival
🇪🇸 SpainGragerגראַגער (grager)
A noisemaker used by Jewish communities to drown out the name of Haman during Purim readings.Festival
🇧🇫 Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina FasoNational Culture Week of Burkina Faso
A week of free shows and contests in Bobo-Dioulasso, held every two yearsFestival
🇮🇸 IcelandIcelandic weddings
A blend of church rites and long feasts, where guests sit by family lines and gifts are saved for the morning.Rite of passage · Dinner
🇬🇧 United KingdomWelsh danceDawns Gymreig
Traditional dances of Wales, known for their athletic steps and revival after a period of decline.Performance
🇦🇪 Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesSir Bu Nair Festival
An annual maritime gathering celebrating seafaring and island conservation in SharjahFestival
🇧🇼 Molepolole, BotswanaDithubaruba Cultural Festival
An annual gathering in Botswana that celebrates the customs, music, and history of the Bakwena people.Festival
🇰🇪 Rusinga Island, KenyaRusinga Cultural Festival
Two December days of Suba music, boat races and food on Rusinga Island in KenyaFestival
🇮🇹 Gubbio, Italy and 1 moreSaint Ubaldo DayFesta dei Ceri
A May procession in Gubbio where three teams carry tall wooden ceri to a hilltop basilicaSpiritual
🇸🇿 EswatiniBuganu Festival
A three-day festival in Eswatini where women brew buganu from marula fruitFestival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇪🇸 Córdoba, Spain and 5 moreFiesta de las Cruces
A May festival where communities decorate crosses with flowers and crafts to celebrate faith and local heritage.Festival
🇮🇹 Turin, Italy and 5 moreMary Help of ChristiansSancta Maria Auxilium Christianorum
A Christian feast and devotion honouring Mary as a protector, observed on 24 MaySpiritual
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNational costume of IndonesiaPakaian Nasional Indonesia
The formal attire worn by Indonesians to represent the nation's diverse cultural heritage.Dress
🇬🇧 York, United KingdomYorkshire Day
A yearly civic observance on 1 August to honour the historic county of Yorkshire and its people.Festival
🇹🇳 La Goulette, TunisiaOur Lady of Trapani procession (Tunis)
A Catholic festival in La Goulette honoring the Virgin Mary, once shared by Christians and Muslims.Festival
🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaPadusan
A Javanese purification bath kept by the Abangan community before Ramadan begins.Spiritual
🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram, IndiaPongala
A harvest offering of sweet rice porridge prepared by millions of women in South IndiaFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreFeast of Saint Thomas Aquinas
An annual Christian feast day honouring the medieval theologian Saint Thomas AquinasSpiritual
🇪🇬 Alexandria, EgyptSerapia
A Roman state feast for the god Serapis, kept on 25 April in Egypt and at RomeSpiritual
🇵🇭 Philippines and 1 moreMass of the Lord's Supper
An evening liturgy marking the start of the Easter Triduum and recalling Jesus' final meal with his followers.Spiritual
🇸🇰 SlovakiaJasličkári
A Slovak Christmas custom of young men acting out the Nativity from house to houseFestival
🇷🇸 Belgrade, Serbia and 5 moreSerbian traditional clothingсрпска народна ношња (srpska narodna nošnja)
The regional folk attire of Serbs, featuring wool, linen, and leather, worn for celebrations and cultural identity.Dress
🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyVenus Verticordia
A Roman cult of Venus as the turner of hearts, kept by married womenSpiritual
🇩🇪 Überlingen, GermanyÜberlinger HänseleHänsele
A masked carnival figure kept by male citizens in Überlingen, Germany, during Fasnet and summer processions.Festival
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreYom HaHatzalahיום ההצלה
A Sat Hasidic holiday marking the rescue of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum from the Holocaust on the 21st of Kislev.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 morePurim costume
The Jewish custom of wearing masks and disguises during the festival of PurimDress
🇦🇹 Bludenz, AustriaBludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik
An international festival of contemporary classical music held annually in BludenzPerformance
🇿🇼 Harare, ZimbabweHarare International Festival of the Arts
An annual week-long celebration of music, dance, theatre and art in Harare, ZimbabwePerformance
🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaCaracas Pride
An annual pride march in Venezuela calling for equal rights for LGBTQ communitiesCeremony
🇺🇸 New York, United StatesBark Mitzvah
A lighthearted coming of age celebration held by dog owners for their petsFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreStag and doe
A Canadian fundraising party for an engaged couple, featuring games, food, and raffles to help pay for the wedding.Festival · Dinner
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Venus Verticordia: kladcat, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mass of the Lord's Supper: Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, source
- Serapia: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Pongala: Sreeraj Krishna, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Padusan: Muhammad Khafidz Riza, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Our Lady of Trapani procession (Tunis): IssamBarhoumi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Yorkshire Day: Buttons0603, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National costume of Indonesia: President of Indonesia, Public domain, source
- Mary Help of Christians: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fiesta de las Cruces: Michelangelo-36, Public domain, source
- Saint Ubaldo Day: Marco Riccardini, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Welsh dance: Geoff Charles, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tairyō-bata: Wiki4423, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cây nêu: vi:Phạm Xuân Nguyên, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Busan Sunrise Festival: Busan Metropolitan city, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nyang Nyang Festival: Zacharie Ngnogue, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eidiyah: Rahbar Emamdadi, CC BY 4.0, source
- Grager: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dithubaruba Cultural Festival: SanDanceVR, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Serbian traditional clothing: Kolega2357, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Überlinger Hänsele: Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 4.0, source
- Purim costume: Flavio~, CC BY 2.0, source