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EveryParampara

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.

RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇺🇸 Philadelphia, United States and 1 moreIndependence Day The United States' national day of parades, barbecues and fireworks, kept each July 4Ceremony 🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesState of the Union address The US president's yearly report to Congress and the nation, given in the House chamberCeremony 🇺🇸 United StatesTalking stick A carved staff that shows who may speak at a Northwest Coast gatheringCeremony 🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesSecond line A New Orleans parade where clubs march and a crowd dances along behind the bandFestival 🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesKrewe Carnival clubs that stage parades, balls, and pageantry along the Gulf CoastFestival 🇺🇸 New York, United StatesFlag Day An annual American observance marking the 1777 adoption of the national flagCeremony 🇺🇸 New York, United StatesVillage Halloween Parade An annual costumed puppetry march through Greenwich Village on Halloween nightFestival 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, United StatesSuper Bowl The annual championship game of American professional football, held every February.Game 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreCharro traditionCharro The equestrian skills, formal attire and rodeo arts of the Mexican horseman.Game 🇺🇸 New York, United StatesWampum Shell beads woven into belts by Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands for record-keeping and ceremony.Folklore 🇺🇸 Falcon Heights, United StatesMinnesota State Fair Minnesota's twelve-day fair of farm animals, contests and food, ending on Labor DayFestival 🇺🇸 New York, United StatesRockefeller Center Christmas Tree A towering spruce lit annually in New York City to mark the start of the holiday season.Festival 🇺🇸 Honolulu, United StatesLei Day A statewide celebration in Hawaii honoring the art of lei making and the aloha spirit.Festival 🇨🇦 Ottawa, CanadaCanada DayFête du Canada A national holiday on July 1 that marks the 1867 union of Canadian colonies into a single dominion.Ceremony 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreMartin Luther King Jr. Day An American federal holiday honouring the civil rights leader with service and remembranceCeremony 🇺🇸 United StatesLabor Day A national American holiday honouring the working class with parades and picnicsCeremony 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 morePotlatch A ceremonial feast of gift-giving and wealth distribution among First Nations on the Northwest Coast.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇺🇸 United StatesVeterans Day A U.S. federal holiday honoring all who have served in the armed forces.Ceremony 🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesPresidents' DayWashington's Birthday An annual American holiday honouring George Washington and the nation's past leadersCeremony 🇨🇦 Calgary, CanadaCalgary StampedeStampede de Calgary A ten-day July festival of rodeo, racing, and community breakfasts in Alberta.Festival · Breakfast 🇨🇦 CanadaSaint-Jean-Baptiste DayFête nationale du Québec An annual civic and cultural celebration observed across Quebec every June 24Ceremony 🇨🇦 Toronto, CanadaVictoria DayFête de la Reine A Canadian public holiday celebrating the monarch and welcoming the return of summerCeremony 🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoMexican Independence DayDía de la Independencia de México An annual Mexican national holiday marking the 1810 uprising against Spanish ruleCeremony 🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreTartan DayLà an Tartain An annual celebration of Scottish culture, clan tartans, and diaspora heritageFestival 🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesNational Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation An annual White House ceremony in which the American president spares a holiday turkey.Ceremony 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreNational day of mourning A day a government sets aside for national grief, often marked by flags at half-mastCeremony 🇺🇸 New York City, United StatesTimes Square Ball A ball of light slides down a pole in Times Square to mark the start of the new yearFestival 🇺🇸 Pasadena, United StatesRose Parade A New Year's Day floral parade of natural floats, bands and horses in CaliforniaFestival 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, United StatesMummers Parade An annual New Year's Day street parade in Philadelphia featuring music and costumed clubsFestival 🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesUnited States presidential inauguration The formal swearing-in ceremony and celebrations for a new United States presidentCeremony 🇲🇽 Puebla, Mexico and 1 moreCinco de Mayo May 5 observance honoring the 1862 Mexican victory over French troops near Puebla.Ceremony 🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoMexican Revolution DayDía de la Revolución Mexicana A Mexican civic holiday marking the 1910 uprising with parades and public ceremoniesCeremony 🇺🇸 Tahlequah, United StatesCherokee National Holiday An annual gathering in Oklahoma marking the signing of the Cherokee ConstitutionFestival 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreColumbus Day An annual autumn holiday marking the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the AmericasCeremony 🇨🇦 Canada and 2 moreInuksuk Stone markers raised by Inuit across the Arctic to guide, hunt and rememberCraft 🇺🇸 Chicago, United States and 5 moreLabour Day A day honouring workers, kept on 1 May in most countries and on other dates elsewhereFestival 🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreBuy Nothing Day An annual 24-hour pause on shopping to protest consumerism and overconsumptionCeremony 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreWikipedia Day An annual gathering and birthday party for the Wikipedia community every JanuaryFestival 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreVigil A purposeful watch of prayer, mourning, or reflection kept through the nightSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreWorkers' Memorial Day An annual day remembering people killed, injured, or made ill by their workCeremony 🇺🇸 Sitka, United StatesAlaska Day Alaska's 18 October holiday marking the 1867 transfer from Russia to the United StatesCeremony 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreInternational Masturbation Month An annual May observance promoting sexual health, pleasure, and open dialogueSeasonal 🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada and 5 moreNo Bra Day An annual October observance promoting breast cancer awareness and bodily autonomySeasonal 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreArmed Forces Day A civic holiday honouring national military services, their history and active personnelCeremony 🇨🇦 Ottawa, CanadaNational Flag of Canada DayJour du drapeau national du Canada Canada's annual day for the maple leaf flag, kept on 15 February since 1996Ceremony 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreLGBTQ History Month An annual month of education and remembrance celebrating queer lives and civil rightsCeremony 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreBanned Books Week An annual autumn campaign celebrating the freedom to read and access challenged booksCeremony 🇲🇽 MexicoMesoamerican bloodletting A ritual practice of self-cutting used by ancient Maya and other Mesoamerican elites to communicate with the divine.Spiritual
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.