Royal, civic and national ceremony
Coronations, courts, parades, oaths and national days.
Royal, civic and national ceremony covers the public rituals of a country: coronations, inaugurations, parades, national days, oaths, flag raisings and the opening of parliament. They give a nation a shared moment and a set of symbols, and many reach back centuries. A coronation in Westminster Abbey, the Changing of the Guard, a Fourth of July parade and the Independence Day march in India each tell a different story of who a people think they are. EveryParampara describes them factually, with the history behind them.
Crowns, thrones and oaths
Ceremonies of rule use regalia, oaths, anointing, processions and acclamation to show authority conferred. They may be kept by an ancient monarchy, a traditional chief or a modern republic with its own rites of inauguration. The words and objects are often very old, and the ceremony stays much the same from reign to reign. Together they set out a link between rulers and the people they serve.
National days and parades
National days commemorate independence, revolution or the founding of a state, usually with parades, speeches, flags, fireworks and public meals. Many also include remembrance of those who died in war, with minutes of silence, poppies or wreaths. These days draw citizens together, though they can also be contested. EveryParampara lists them on the calendar and explains the customs that go with them.
About this page
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Royal, civic and national ceremony (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.
🇰🇪 KenyaHarambee
Kenya's tradition of community self-help, where people gather to raise funds togetherCeremony
🇪🇬 Luxor, Egypt and 1 moreFoundation deposit
A ritual burial of objects under building foundations to ensure structural stability and divine protection.Ceremony
🇵🇪 Peru and 5 moreMinka
Shared unpaid work for community projects and for families who need many handsCeremony
🇲🇽 MexicoMesoamerican bloodletting
A ritual practice of self-cutting used by ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican elites to communicate with the divine.Spiritual
🇪🇸 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
🇦🇪 Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesSir Bu Nair Festival
An annual maritime gathering celebrating seafaring and island conservation in SharjahFestival
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaOsariyaඔසරිය (Sinhala)
Sri Lanka's national dress: a sari with a waist frill and a full blouseDress
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreMianfu冕服
The most formal dress of China's emperors, worn at coronations and court ritesDress
🇶🇦 Doha, QatarDoha Cultural Festival
An annual sixteen-day arts and heritage festival held in Qatar's capitalFestival
🇨🇳 Zhongshan, ChinaChinese clothing
Robes, gowns, and suits shaped across dynasties, ranks, and daily life in ChinaDress
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreFilifilí (Irish)
Ireland's and Scotland's trained poets, storytellers and seersPerformance
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreBride-showсмотр невест
A court custom in which emperors and tsars chose a wife from young women brought before themCeremony
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDhaka topiढाका टोपी
A patterned cotton cap worn across Nepal as part of the national dressDress
🇬🇧 London, United KingdomQueen Charlotte's Ball
A historic coming-of-age gala where young women curtsey to an ornate birthday cakeRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaLohepfhe
A handwoven black shawl with red and green bands, worn by Angami and Chakhesang Naga men as a marker of identity.Dress
🇱🇻 Riga, Latvia and 2 moreBaltic Pride
An annual Baltic festival and human rights march rotating between Riga, Tallinn, and VilniusFestival
🇬🇧 Palace of Westminster, United KingdomParliamentary snuff box
A wooden box of free snuff kept at the door of the House of CommonsCeremony
🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSheikh Zayed Festivalمهرجان الشيخ زايد
An annual cultural and heritage festival held in Al Wathba, Abu DhabiFestival
🇷🇺 RussiaOctobering
A short-lived Soviet naming rite that put the Red Star in place of the baptismal crossRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 4 morePuttee
A cloth leg wrap worn by soldiers, from the Himalayas to the armies of two world warsDress
🇩🇪 Munich, GermanyO'zapft is!
The civic barrel-tapping ceremony that officially launches Munich's OktoberfestCeremony · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇧🇪 BelgiumMarches of Entre-Sambre-et-MeuseMarches de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse
Folk processions with armed escorts in Belgian villages, kept from May to OctoberSpiritual · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, Israel and 5 moreTel Aviv International Student Film Festival
A week-long gathering in June where student filmmakers from around the world screen their work, attend workshops, and mePerformance
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceParis CarnivalCarnaval de Paris
An annual street celebration and costume procession across ParisFestival
🇮🇹 Palermo, ItalyFeast of Saint RosaliaFestino di Santa Rosalia
An annual July festival in Palermo honouring the patron saint who ended the plague.Festival
🇬🇧 United KingdomChurch parade
A formal military procession held to attend a religious serviceCeremony
🇮🇹 Montepulciano, ItalyBravio delle botti
An annual uphill wine barrel race between the eight historic districts of MontepulcianoGame
🇬🇧 United KingdomLincolnshire Day
An annual county day on 1 October honouring the history and culture of LincolnshireCeremony
🇷🇸 Belgrade, Serbia and 2 moreMerlinka Festival
An annual queer film festival held across Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and MontenegroFestival
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreDiyi翟衣 (Díyī)
A formal ceremonial robe worn by empresses and royal women in China, Korea, and Vietnam.Dress
🇪🇨 Quito, EcuadorFiestas de Quito
A week of parades, music and street parties marking the founding of QuitoFestival
🇰🇪 KenyaLake Turkana Cultural FestivalTobong'u Lore
A spring gathering in northern Kenya celebrating indigenous cultures and promoting peace among lake communities.Festival
🇱🇹 Vilnius, LithuaniaLithuania Independence Restoration Day
A Lithuanian national holiday on 11 March celebrating the 1990 return of sovereign ruleCeremony
🇮🇸 Reykjavík, IcelandReykjavík PrideHinsegin dagar í Reykjavík
An annual festival and parade celebrating LGBT+ rights and visibility in IcelandFestival
🇱🇺 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and 3 moreOktavMuttergottesoktav
A two-week annual Marian pilgrimage and festival in Luxembourg CitySpiritual · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India
Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage
🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonBeirut Prideفخر بيروت
An annual LGBTQIA+ march and festival in Lebanon advocating for decriminalization and visibility.Festival
🇽🇰 Prizren, KosovoAutostrada Biennale
A biennial contemporary art festival and cultural exhibition in Prizren, KosovoPerformance
🇦🇲 ArmeniaIşlic
A tall felt cap worn by Danubian boyars to show their rank and public officeDress
🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaCaracas Pride
An annual pride march in Venezuela calling for equal rights for LGBTQ communitiesCeremony
🇵🇬 Port Moresby, Papua New GuineaRepentance Day
An annual public holiday of prayer and national reflection across Papua New GuineaSpiritual
🇲🇼 Bolero, MalawiGonapamhanya festival
An annual gathering of the Tumbuka people honouring their first paramount chiefFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇿🇲 Muyombe, ZambiaVinkhakanimba
An annual gathering and dance celebration of the Tumbuka people in northeastern ZambiaFestival
🇧🇼 Molepolole, BotswanaDithubaruba Cultural Festival
An annual gathering in Botswana that celebrates the customs, music, and history of the Bakwena people.Festival
🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAbu Dhabi Science Festival
An annual science festival in the United Arab Emirates with hands-on workshops and showsFestival
🇨🇾 Limassol, CyprusWine Festival of CyprusΓιορτή του Κρασιού
An annual autumn celebration of winemaking, folklore and food in Limassol, CyprusFestival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇽🇰 Gjilan, KosovoFlaka e Janarit
A winter arts festival in Kosovo honoring national martyrs through music, drama and verseFestival
🇷🇺 RussiaPodvorotnichokподворотничок
A detachable white fabric strip sewn inside military uniform collars for hygieneDress
🇪🇬 Luxor, Egypt and 1 moreFoundation deposit
A ritual burial of objects under building foundations to ensure structural stability and divine protection.Ceremony
🇵🇪 Peru and 5 moreMinka
Shared unpaid work for community projects and for families who need many handsCeremony
🇲🇽 MexicoMesoamerican bloodletting
A ritual practice of self-cutting used by ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican elites to communicate with the divine.Spiritual
🇪🇸 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
🇦🇪 Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesSir Bu Nair Festival
An annual maritime gathering celebrating seafaring and island conservation in SharjahFestival
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaOsariyaඔසරිය (Sinhala)
Sri Lanka's national dress: a sari with a waist frill and a full blouseDress
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreMianfu冕服
The most formal dress of China's emperors, worn at coronations and court ritesDress
🇶🇦 Doha, QatarDoha Cultural Festival
An annual sixteen-day arts and heritage festival held in Qatar's capitalFestival
🇨🇳 Zhongshan, ChinaChinese clothing
Robes, gowns, and suits shaped across dynasties, ranks, and daily life in ChinaDress
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreFilifilí (Irish)
Ireland's and Scotland's trained poets, storytellers and seersPerformance
🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreBride-showсмотр невест
A court custom in which emperors and tsars chose a wife from young women brought before themCeremony
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDhaka topiढाका टोपी
A patterned cotton cap worn across Nepal as part of the national dressDress
🇬🇧 London, United KingdomQueen Charlotte's Ball
A historic coming-of-age gala where young women curtsey to an ornate birthday cakeRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaLohepfhe
A handwoven black shawl with red and green bands, worn by Angami and Chakhesang Naga men as a marker of identity.Dress
🇱🇻 Riga, Latvia and 2 moreBaltic Pride
An annual Baltic festival and human rights march rotating between Riga, Tallinn, and VilniusFestival
🇬🇧 Palace of Westminster, United KingdomParliamentary snuff box
A wooden box of free snuff kept at the door of the House of CommonsCeremony
🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSheikh Zayed Festivalمهرجان الشيخ زايد
An annual cultural and heritage festival held in Al Wathba, Abu DhabiFestival
🇷🇺 RussiaOctobering
A short-lived Soviet naming rite that put the Red Star in place of the baptismal crossRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 4 morePuttee
A cloth leg wrap worn by soldiers, from the Himalayas to the armies of two world warsDress
🇩🇪 Munich, GermanyO'zapft is!
The civic barrel-tapping ceremony that officially launches Munich's OktoberfestCeremony · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇧🇪 BelgiumMarches of Entre-Sambre-et-MeuseMarches de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse
Folk processions with armed escorts in Belgian villages, kept from May to OctoberSpiritual · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, Israel and 5 moreTel Aviv International Student Film Festival
A week-long gathering in June where student filmmakers from around the world screen their work, attend workshops, and mePerformance
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceParis CarnivalCarnaval de Paris
An annual street celebration and costume procession across ParisFestival
🇮🇹 Palermo, ItalyFeast of Saint RosaliaFestino di Santa Rosalia
An annual July festival in Palermo honouring the patron saint who ended the plague.Festival
🇬🇧 United KingdomChurch parade
A formal military procession held to attend a religious serviceCeremony
🇮🇹 Montepulciano, ItalyBravio delle botti
An annual uphill wine barrel race between the eight historic districts of MontepulcianoGame
🇬🇧 United KingdomLincolnshire Day
An annual county day on 1 October honouring the history and culture of LincolnshireCeremony
🇷🇸 Belgrade, Serbia and 2 moreMerlinka Festival
An annual queer film festival held across Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and MontenegroFestival
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreDiyi翟衣 (Díyī)
A formal ceremonial robe worn by empresses and royal women in China, Korea, and Vietnam.Dress
🇪🇨 Quito, EcuadorFiestas de Quito
A week of parades, music and street parties marking the founding of QuitoFestival
🇰🇪 KenyaLake Turkana Cultural FestivalTobong'u Lore
A spring gathering in northern Kenya celebrating indigenous cultures and promoting peace among lake communities.Festival
🇱🇹 Vilnius, LithuaniaLithuania Independence Restoration Day
A Lithuanian national holiday on 11 March celebrating the 1990 return of sovereign ruleCeremony
🇮🇸 Reykjavík, IcelandReykjavík PrideHinsegin dagar í Reykjavík
An annual festival and parade celebrating LGBT+ rights and visibility in IcelandFestival
🇱🇺 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and 3 moreOktavMuttergottesoktav
A two-week annual Marian pilgrimage and festival in Luxembourg CitySpiritual · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India
Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage
🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonBeirut Prideفخر بيروت
An annual LGBTQIA+ march and festival in Lebanon advocating for decriminalization and visibility.Festival
🇽🇰 Prizren, KosovoAutostrada Biennale
A biennial contemporary art festival and cultural exhibition in Prizren, KosovoPerformance
🇦🇲 ArmeniaIşlic
A tall felt cap worn by Danubian boyars to show their rank and public officeDress
🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaCaracas Pride
An annual pride march in Venezuela calling for equal rights for LGBTQ communitiesCeremony
🇵🇬 Port Moresby, Papua New GuineaRepentance Day
An annual public holiday of prayer and national reflection across Papua New GuineaSpiritual
🇲🇼 Bolero, MalawiGonapamhanya festival
An annual gathering of the Tumbuka people honouring their first paramount chiefFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇿🇲 Muyombe, ZambiaVinkhakanimba
An annual gathering and dance celebration of the Tumbuka people in northeastern ZambiaFestival
🇧🇼 Molepolole, BotswanaDithubaruba Cultural Festival
An annual gathering in Botswana that celebrates the customs, music, and history of the Bakwena people.Festival
🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAbu Dhabi Science Festival
An annual science festival in the United Arab Emirates with hands-on workshops and showsFestival
🇨🇾 Limassol, CyprusWine Festival of CyprusΓιορτή του Κρασιού
An annual autumn celebration of winemaking, folklore and food in Limassol, CyprusFestival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇽🇰 Gjilan, KosovoFlaka e Janarit
A winter arts festival in Kosovo honoring national martyrs through music, drama and verseFestival
🇷🇺 RussiaPodvorotnichokподворотничок
A detachable white fabric strip sewn inside military uniform collars for hygieneDress
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Fiesta de las Cruces: Michelangelo-36, Public domain, source
- Mianfu: Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
- Fili: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Bride-show: Publisher: Χρωμολιθογραφείον Ε. Λοβέρδου & Γ. Γρύσπου (1893-ca. 1914), Public domain, source
- Octobering: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Puttee: American_Infantry_Chauchat.jpg : Lt. Adrian C. Duff Original uploader, Public domain, source
- Marches of Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse: Hoebele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Diyi: Annonymous court painter, Public domain, source
- Minka: Tobias Deml, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lake Turkana Cultural Festival: Ray in Manila, CC BY 2.0, source
- Lithuania Independence Restoration Day: Lithuania Post Office / Scanned and processed by Vizu, Public domain, source
- Reykjavík Pride: Helgi Halldórsson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Oktav: Daderot, CC0, source
- Political marriages in India: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Beirut Pride: Beirut Pride, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Autostrada Biennale: Lajmmoore, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Işlic: Louis Dupré, Public domain, source
- Gonapamhanya festival: Tumbuka Arch, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dithubaruba Cultural Festival: SanDanceVR, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wine Festival of Cyprus: George M. Groutas, CC BY 2.0, source
- Flaka e Janarit: E Sadiku, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Foundation deposit: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Mesoamerican bloodletting: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Osariya: Mr Anuradha Ratnaweera (අනුරාධ රත්නවීර මහතා), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chinese clothing: Yan Li-pen, Public domain, source
- Dhaka topi: Sophie Graubert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Queen Charlotte's Ball: The Illustrated London News, Public domain, source
- Baltic Pride: IDAHOT, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- O'zapft is!: Michael Lucan, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival: Adam4896, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Paris Carnival: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Feast of Saint Rosalia: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Church parade: Boris Kustodiev, Public domain, source