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.
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.
🇦🇫 Kabul, Afghanistan and 1 moreJirgaجرګه
A traditional consultative council of elders that settles disputes through consensusCeremony
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTribal youth dormitoryMorung
A communal house where a tribe's unmarried young people sleep, learn and serveRite of passage
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 5 moreInternational Mother Language Day
An annual observance on 21 February to protect linguistic diversity and honour the Bengali language movement.Festival
🇮🇳 Kolkata, IndiaJana Gana Mana
India's national anthem, from a Bengali hymn of 1911, sung at civic occasionsCeremony
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian national calendar
India's official civil solar calendar, designed to bring unity to timekeepingSeasonal
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 morePohela Boishakhপহেলা বৈশাখ
The Bengali New Year festival marking the spring harvest and the start of the agricultural year.Festival
🇵🇰 Islamabad, PakistanPakistan Independence Dayیومِ آزادی
A nationwide summer holiday commemorating the birth of Pakistan on 14 August 1947Ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreWagah Border Ceremony
A daily flag-lowering ritual at the India-Pakistan border featuring high kicks and synchronized drills.Ceremony
🇮🇳 Mysuru, IndiaMysore Dasara
Karnataka's ten-day Dasara, with the lit Mysuru Palace and a Vijayadashami processionFestival
🇮🇳 Kohima, IndiaHornbill Festival
A ten-day December gathering of Nagaland's ethnic groups, held at Kisama near KohimaFestival
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreProstration
Bowing the whole body to the ground, in prayer and as a sign of respectSpiritual
🇮🇳 Lucknow, India and 3 moreSherwani
A long buttoned coat for men, worn at weddings and state occasions in South AsiaDress
🇮🇳 Srinagar, India and 3 morePashmina
Ultra-fine wool of Himalayan goats, hand-woven in Kashmir into shawls of rankDress
🇮🇳 Delhi, India and 1 moreIndependence Day
A public holiday on 15 August marking the end of British rule in India in 1947Ceremony
🇮🇳 New Delhi, IndiaGandhi Jayanti
India's annual holiday on 2 October, for Mahatma Gandhi's birth and nonviolenceCeremony
🇮🇳 IndiaSvayamvaraस्वयंवर
An ancient Indian noble assembly where a bride chose her husband among suitorsRite of passage
🇵🇰 Islamabad, Pakistan and 1 morePakistan Dayیومِ پاکستان
Pakistan's national day on 23 March: the 1940 Lahore Resolution and the 1956 constitutionCeremony
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreVictory Dayবিজয় দিবস
Bangladesh's national day on 16 December, marking the 1971 surrender that made the stateCeremony
🇦🇫 Kabul, AfghanistanAfghan Independence Dayد افغانستان د خپلواکۍ ورځ (Pashto); روز استقلال افغانستان (Dari)
Afghanistan's national day, kept on 19 August for the treaty of 1919Ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreYouth Day
A commemorative holiday honoring young people and youth movements worldwideCeremony
🇮🇳 New Delhi, IndiaHindi Dayहिन्दी दिवस
An annual Indian observance on 14 September marking the adoption of Hindi as an official language.Ceremony
🇮🇳 New Delhi, IndiaKargil Vijay Diwas
An annual Indian observance honouring soldiers and the end of the Kargil War.Ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaNational Unity Dayराष्ट्रीय एकता दिवस
An annual Indian observance honouring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 31 OctoberCeremony
🇵🇰 PakistanDefence Dayیومِ دفاع
Pakistan's national day for its soldiers, kept each 6 September with parades and tributesCeremony
🇮🇳 Delhi, IndiaChildren's Day
An annual Indian celebration of children and their welfare held on 14 NovemberCeremony
🇵🇰 PakistanSindhi Cultural Dayسنڌي ثقافتي ڏھاڙو
An annual December celebration of Sindhi heritage, music, and traditional attireFestival
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDaura-Suruwalदौरा सुरुवाल
The traditional Nepali male attire of a wrap shirt, tapered trousers, and a coat.Dress
🇱🇰 Colombo, Sri LankaColombo Pride
An annual LGBTQ+ pride parade and festival held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.Festival
🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India
Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 4 morePuttee
A cloth leg wrap worn by soldiers, from the Himalayas to the armies of two world warsDress
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDhaka topiढाका टोपी
A patterned cotton cap worn across Nepal as part of the national dressDress
🇮🇳 IndiaLohepfhe
A handwoven black shawl with red and green bands, worn by Angami and Chakhesang Naga men as a marker of identity.Dress
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaOsariyaඔසරිය (Sinhala)
Sri Lanka's national dress: a sari with a waist frill and a full blouseDress
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Defence Day: Faizanbokhari at English Wikipedia (I shot this picture myself.), Public domain, source
- Sherwani: SabaFatima123456789, Public domain, source
- Wagah Border Ceremony: Vengolis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Prostration: Meghan Breeze, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pakistan Independence Day: Khaum, CC BY 3.0, source
- Pohela Boishakh: Abidhasan00, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jana Gana Mana: Rabindranath Tagore, Public domain, source
- Mysore Dasara: Kalyan Kumar, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Indian national calendar: Clemensmarabu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jirga: Alpha4354747, Public domain, source
- International Mother Language Day: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tribal youth dormitory: Aravind Manickam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Afghan Independence Day: Master Sgt. Michael O'Connor (U.S. armed forces), CC BY 2.0, source
- Victory Day: Jubair1985, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Political marriages in India: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Svayamvara: Nandalal Bose, Public domain, source
- Kargil Vijay Diwas: Ashoosaini2002, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Osariya: Mr Anuradha Ratnaweera (අනුරාධ රත්නවීර මහතා), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Daura-Suruwal: not researched, CC BY 4.0, source
- Dhaka topi: Sophie Graubert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Independence Day: Vidur Malhotra, CC BY 2.0, source
- Gandhi Jayanti: Elliott & Fry, Public domain, source
- Youth Day: Andrey Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pakistan Day: Imniazi001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hornbill Festival: Vikramjit Kakati, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Children's Day: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sindhi Cultural Day: Jogi don, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pashmina: Aaditya Kitroo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Puttee: American_Infantry_Chauchat.jpg : Lt. Adrian C. Duff Original uploader, Public domain, source