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.
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreEid al-Fitrعيد الفطر
The feast that ends Ramadan, opened with morning prayers, sweets and visits homeFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Iran and 7 moreNowruzنوروز
The Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsSeasonal
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelPassoverפסח
A Jewish spring festival celebrating freedom from slavery with ritual mealsSpiritual · Dinner
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreHanukkahחֲנֻכָּה
An eight-day Jewish festival marking the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of a single day'Festival
🇮🇱 IsraelRosh Hashanahרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
The Jewish New Year marked by shofar horn blasts, prayer and sweet foodsSpiritual
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelSukkotסוכות
A seven-day autumn Jewish festival of temporary booths, harvest prayers and hospitalitySpiritual
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 morePurimפּוּרִים
A lively Jewish festival of storytelling, shared food, masks and charityFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaArdahالعرضة
A traditional Arabian group dance of facing lines, drums, poetry, and swordsPerformance
🇱🇧 Lebanon and 4 moreDabkeدبكة
A Levantine folk dance of linked lines and stomping steps, kept at weddings and community gatherings.Performance
🇹🇷 TurkeyRamadan in Turkey
A holy month of fasting, prayer, and community meals, observed across Turkey with unique local customs.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates and 1 moreYowlahاليولة (al-yawlah)
A traditional stick and sword dance of the UAE and Oman, performed at weddings and celebrations.Performance
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreHoly FireἋγιον Φῶς
A fire ceremony in Jerusalem each year, kept by Orthodox Christians before EasterSpiritual
🇮🇱 IsraelMishloach manotמשלוח מנות
Food parcels exchanged on Purim, so everyone has plenty for the day's festive mealSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreDreidelדרײדל (Yiddish); סביבון (Hebrew)
A four-sided top spun for small stakes, most often by Jewish families at HanukkahGame
🇴🇲 Salalah, Oman and 3 moreKhareefخَرِيْف
The monsoon season of Dhofar and Al Mahrah, welcomed with a festival in SalalahSeasonal
🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay
A traditional line and circle folk dance kept across Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Syria.Performance
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreKhordad Salخرداد روز
A Zoroastrian festival marking the birth of the prophet Zarathushtra with prayers and feasts.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 morePresentation of Jesus at the TempleIn praesentatione Domini
A February feast of candles and welcome, kept forty days after ChristmasSpiritual
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreYaldā Nightشب یلدا
A solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaFestival · Dinner
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelPassover Sederסדר פסח
A ritual meal opening Passover, told over wine, matzah and symbolic foodsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 4 moreChaharshanbe Suriچهارشنبهسوری
An Iranian festival of fire and renewal celebrated on the eve of the final Wednesday before spring.Festival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇹🇷 Turkey and 6 moreHıdırellez
A spring festival marking the meeting of two prophets, celebrated across Turkey and the Balkans.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 4 moreMehreganمهرگان
An Iranian autumn festival honoring Mithra, friendship, and the harvestSeasonal
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreMid-Sha'banنصف شعبان
An Islamic night of prayer, remembrance, and seeking divine forgiveness.Spiritual
🇮🇷 Shiraz, IranHaft-sinهفتسین
Seven symbolic items whose Persian names begin with S, set out for NowruzSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇶🇦 Doha, QatarQatar National Dayاليوم الوطني القطري (Al-Yawm al-Waṭani al-Qatari)
A national holiday in Qatar marking the unification of the peninsula under Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani.Ceremony
🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSizdah Bedarسیزدهبدر
An open-air picnic holiday concluding the Iranian New Year celebrationsFestival
🇮🇷 Yazd, Iran and 1 moreSadehسده
An ancient midwinter festival of fire, light, and the approach of springFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Amol, Iran and 3 moreTirganتیرگان (Tirgān)
An ancient Iranian summer festival of water, poetry and rainbow bands, kept on the thirteenth day of Tir.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇸🇦 Jenadriyah, Saudi ArabiaJenadriyahمهرجان الجنادرية
A two-week Saudi cultural festival of camel racing, folk dance, poetry, and craftsFestival
🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey and 5 moreSimit
A sesame-encrusted ring bread sold by street vendors across Turkey and the former Ottoman lands.Table custom · Breakfast
🇱🇧 Beirut, Lebanon and 7 moreEid il-Burbaraعيد البربارة
A winter feast of costumes, sweet boiled wheat, and sprouting seeds across the LevantFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, Israel and 1 moreAdloyadaעדלאידע
A humorous Purim parade in Israel featuring giant puppets and satirical floats.Festival
🇵🇸 Jericho, PalestineNabi Musaٱلنَّبِي مُوْسَى
An annual Palestinian Muslim pilgrimage and festival honoring the prophet MosesSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Torahשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה
The day Jewish communities finish the Torah reading and start it again, with dancingSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇹🇷 Edirne, TurkeyKırkpınar
A three-day Turkish oil wrestling contest near Edirne, held each June since 1360Game
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 1 moreHenna ceremonyليلة الحناء
A night of henna patterns on a bride's hands and feet, kept before the weddingRite of passage
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 3 moreHanukkah menorah
A nine-branched lamp that gains one more flame on each of Hanukkah's eight nightsSpiritual
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreBar and bat mitzvahבַּר מִצְוָה / בַּת מִצְוָה
A Jewish rite of passage marking when youth reach adulthood and take responsibility for their own actions.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Urmia, IranKurdish danceGovend (گۆڤەند)
Circle dances of the Kurds, led by handkerchief twirlers, for weddings and NewrozPerformance
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreEid al-Ghadirعید الغدیر
A Shia Muslim festival of prayer, gifts and shared meals, kept on 18 Dhu al-HijjahSpiritual
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreFour speciesארבעת המינים (Arba'at HaMinim)
A ritual waving of four plants during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.Spiritual
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSeharane
A Kurdish Jewish festival of campfires, circle dances and shared foodFestival
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSukkahסוכה
A temporary hut with a branch roof, lived in for the seven days of SukkotSpiritual
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreNewrozنەورۆز
A Kurdish spring festival and new year celebration marked by bonfires, dance, and the lighting of fires.Festival
🇱🇧 Lebanon and 2 moreAnnunciationΟ Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου
A Christian feast marking the angel Gabriel's message to Mary about bearing Jesus, kept on 25 March.Festival
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreHoly SaturdaySabbatum Sanctum
The closing day of Holy Week, a Saturday of waiting, fasting and vigil before EasterSpiritual
🇹🇷 Edirne, TurkeyKakava
A Romani night by the river in Edirne: bonfire, candles and pilafFestival · 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.
- Presentation of Jesus at the Temple: Gaudenzio Ferrari, Public domain, source
- Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
- Eid al-Fitr: Mohammed Tawsif Salam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chaharshanbe Suri: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source
- Hıdırellez: Правительство Республики Крым, CC BY 4.0, source
- Passover: User:RadRafe~commonswiki, Public domain, source
- Mid-Sha'ban: sayyed shahab-o- din vajedi, CC BY 4.0, source
- Hanukkah: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, source
- Qatar National Day: Mohamod Fasil, CC BY 2.0, source
- Sizdah Bedar: PersianDutchNetwork, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sadeh: Farzad j, Public domain, source
- Tirgan: LACIPETO, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jenadriyah: Abodi009, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Rosh Hashanah: N100a . The original uploader was N100a at Hebrew Wikipedia ., Attribution, source
- Sukkot: Zachi Evenor, CC BY 2.0, source
- Simit: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Purim: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Holy Fire: William Holman Hunt, Public domain, source
- Mishloach manot: Yoninah, CC BY 2.5, source
- Dreidel: Adiel lo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Eid il-Burbara: Durziil89, CC0, source
- Khareef: May Paulose, CC BY 2.0, source
- Adloyada: ד"ר אבישי טייכר, CC BY 2.5, source
- Nabi Musa: Mujaddara, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Passover Seder: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ardah: Abodi009, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Haft-sin: HengamehRM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dabke: Sarah Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ramadan in Turkey: Wiki leylek, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yowlah: Sharon Harper, CC BY 2.0, source
- Simchat Torah: No machine-readable author provided. Merlin assumed (based on copyrigh, CC BY 2.5, source
- Kırkpınar: anonymous Greek artist, ca. 1809, Public domain, source
- Henna ceremony: No author provided, CC0, source
- Hanukkah menorah: Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bar and bat mitzvah: Peter van der Sluijs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kurdish dance: Kaiwan Moradi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eid al-Ghadir: khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, source
- Four species: עוטה אור, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sukkah: Gilabrand, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Newroz: Salar Arkan - سالار ارکان, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yaldā Night: M.Sadegh Nikgostar/Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, source
- Holy Saturday: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kakava: CeeGee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Annunciation: El Greco, Public domain, source
- Mehregan: PersianDutchNetwork, CC BY-SA 3.0, source