Folklore and belief
Legends, superstitions, charms and customs of luck.
Folklore and belief gather the legends, charms, superstitions and customs of luck that people live by: knocking on wood, the evil eye, the tooth fairy, the black dog on the moor, the fox spirit of Japan, the spirits of the forest. These are not formal religion but a living layer of stories and habits, told by grandparents and kept alive in jokes, rhymes and small rituals. EveryParampara describes them as folklore, in the way those who keep them describe them, and takes no position on whether they are true.
Tales and creatures
Every region has its stories of giants, fairies, trolls, tricksters, ghosts and talking animals, often explaining a hill, a river or a custom. They are told to entertain and to teach, and collectors such as the Brothers Grimm and local folklorists have written many down. The same tale types appear across continents, with local details, which scholars have long studied. Storytelling nights, festivals and schools keep them in circulation.
Luck and protection
Customs of luck and protection are the small daily rituals: spilling salt, a horseshoe over the door, a red thread, a coin in the fountain, a lucky number. They answer the wish for some control in an uncertain world and are often kept with a smile. Some have a practical origin, and others are echoes of older beliefs. EveryParampara notes traditional use as tradition and offers no medical or financial advice.
About this page
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Folklore and belief (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.
🇬🇷 GreecePeronaiπερόνη (perónē)
A long straight pin that fastened Greek clothing, and a weapon in Greek legendDress
🇨🇳 ChinaTui na推拿
A traditional Chinese hands-on therapy using pushing, grasping, and acupressure pointsFolklore
🇬🇧 United KingdomStirrup cup
A farewell drink served to guests as they depart, often while mounting a horse.Etiquette
🇳🇬 NigeriaKwagh-Hir
A Tiv puppet theatre and masquerade performance from central Nigeria that uses masks and marionettes to tell moral storiPerformance
🇬🇧 United KingdomBean-nighe
A Scottish spirit of the streams who washes shrouds to foretell deathFolklore
🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaZangfu脏腑
A traditional Chinese model of internal organs as paired networks of energy and functionFolklore
🇬🇧 Ashbourne, United Kingdom and 1 moreRoyal Shrovetide Football
A medieval mob football game played in Ashbourne on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.Game
🇺🇸 United StatesFlower girl
A young child walking before the bride, scattering blossoms along the wedding aisleRite of passage
🇩🇪 Weingarten, Germany and 1 moreBlutritt
An equestrian pilgrimage across southern Germany honoring a relic of the Holy BloodSpiritual
🇯🇵 JapanMoai模合 (Mo-ai)
A Japanese social support group that provides mutual aid and companionship to its members.Etiquette
🇨🇦 Kelowna, CanadaOgopogoNx̌ax̌aitkʷ
A lake serpent of British Columbia, known from Syilx stories and reported sightingsFolklore
🇬🇧 United KingdomMoragMòrag
A loch monster said to live in Loch Morar, Scotland, reported since 1887Folklore
🇮🇹 Benevento, ItalyWitches of Benevento
A southern Italian tradition of walnut-tree gatherings and protective folk charmsFolklore
🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa and 5 moreTooth ablation
A global custom of deliberately removing healthy teeth for social, ritual, or aesthetic reasons.Rite of passage
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreRussian superstitions
Everyday omens, etiquette rules, and household rituals observed across RussiaFolklore
🇨🇦 Turtle Lake, CanadaTurtle Lake Monster
A Saskatchewan lake legend of a huge creature, claimed sightings and a sturgeon theoryFolklore
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreScottish folk music
Traditional ballads, fiddle tunes and bagpipe melodies from Scotland and its diasporaPerformance
🇬🇧 United KingdomThe Broad
A Cotswold Christmas figure: a bull's head on a pole, carried by a hidden performerFolklore
🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaZangfu脏腑
The traditional Chinese medical model of interconnected organ networks and vital energyFolklore
🇷🇺 RussiaBlack wedding
A traditional Jewish crisis wedding held in a cemetery to ward off diseaseSpiritual
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreQimen Dunjia奇門遁甲
A classical Chinese divination system that maps time, space, and strategySpiritual
🇨🇳 Hengyang, China and 1 moreShan'ge山歌
A family of Chinese folk ballads from the countryside, in many regional formsPerformance
🇨🇳 ChinaSanfutie三伏贴
A seasonal Chinese medicine practice applying herbal patches during peak summer heatSeasonal
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreRed Thread of Fate姻緣紅線
An East Asian belief in an invisible cord binding two people destined for marriageFolklore
🇬🇧 United KingdomWooing Play
A folk performance of farm labourers in the East Midlands, featuring a sieve horse.Performance
🇬🇧 United KingdomThe Knight's Ghost
A traditional folk ballad of grief, captive soldiers and a midnight spectral visitationPerformance
🇪🇸 SpainThe Water of LifeL'aigua de vida
A Catalan folk tale of a quest for magic water, a fragrant branch and a talking birdPerformance
🇬🇧 United KingdomAssipattle and the Stoor Worm
An Orcadian dragon-slayer tale of a fireside daydreamer who defeats a giant sea monsterFolklore
🇲🇳 Ölgii, MongoliaGaridгарьд
A top wrestling title in Mongolia, named for Genghis Khan's eagle and the mythical bird Garuda.Game
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCabañuelasLas cabañuelas
A traditional weather forecasting method using the first thirty-one days of January to predict the rest of the year.Folklore
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSack Man
A widespread folklore figure who carries a sack to take away disobedient childrenFolklore
🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaZangfu臟腑 (simplified 脏腑; zàngfǔ)
A Chinese medicine view of organs as networks of qi, blood and five phasesFolklore
🇨🇳 Ziyang, China and 1 moreThree Corpses三尸
A Daoist belief in three inner parasites that cause illness and cut life shortFolklore
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChinese patchwork
A needlework craft joining fabric scraps into protective clothing, quilts and folk artCraft
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreFilifilí (Irish)
Ireland's and Scotland's trained poets, storytellers and seersPerformance
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreFive Grains五穀
A sacred grouping of staple crops honoured as the bedrock of East Asian civilizationFolklore
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTaiyin Xingjun太陰星君
The Chinese moon goddess, honoured at Mid-Autumn with incense, mooncakes and prayersSpiritual · Sweets given and shared
🇨🇳 ChinaSymbolic stars神煞
Helpful and harmful influences read from the Chinese calendar's stems and branchesFolklore
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreFairy ring
A natural ring of mushrooms formed by fungal growth, surrounded by folklore across Europe and beyond.Folklore
🇬🇧 Torry, United KingdomUnspoken Water
A Scottish healing custom in which water was fetched in silence and given to the sickFolklore
🇰🇼 Kuwait and 3 moreAl Sadu
A traditional Bedouin weaving craft from the Arabian Peninsula, known for geometric patterns and wool textiles.Craft
🇺🇦 Dnipro, UkraineCossack songs of the Dnipropetrovsk RegionКозацькі пісні Дніпропетровщини
Folk songs made by Cossacks, still sung in villages of the Dnipropetrovsk regionPerformance
🇲🇳 MongoliaBiyelgeeБиелгээ
A traditional Mongolian dance of upper body movements rooted in nomadic lifePerformance
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreSaint Nicholas
Boots out on 6 December: sweets for good children, a switch for the restFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇳🇬 NigeriaKwagh-Hir
A Tiv puppet theatre and masquerade performance from central Nigeria that uses masks and marionettes to tell moral storiPerformance
🇬🇧 United KingdomBean-nighe
A Scottish spirit of the streams who washes shrouds to foretell deathFolklore
🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaZangfu脏腑
A traditional Chinese model of internal organs as paired networks of energy and functionFolklore
🇬🇧 Ashbourne, United Kingdom and 1 moreRoyal Shrovetide Football
A medieval mob football game played in Ashbourne on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.Game
🇺🇸 United StatesFlower girl
A young child walking before the bride, scattering blossoms along the wedding aisleRite of passage
🇩🇪 Weingarten, Germany and 1 moreBlutritt
An equestrian pilgrimage across southern Germany honoring a relic of the Holy BloodSpiritual
🇯🇵 JapanMoai模合 (Mo-ai)
A Japanese social support group that provides mutual aid and companionship to its members.Etiquette
🇨🇦 Kelowna, CanadaOgopogoNx̌ax̌aitkʷ
A lake serpent of British Columbia, known from Syilx stories and reported sightingsFolklore
🇬🇧 United KingdomMoragMòrag
A loch monster said to live in Loch Morar, Scotland, reported since 1887Folklore
🇮🇹 Benevento, ItalyWitches of Benevento
A southern Italian tradition of walnut-tree gatherings and protective folk charmsFolklore
🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa and 5 moreTooth ablation
A global custom of deliberately removing healthy teeth for social, ritual, or aesthetic reasons.Rite of passage
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreRussian superstitions
Everyday omens, etiquette rules, and household rituals observed across RussiaFolklore
🇨🇦 Turtle Lake, CanadaTurtle Lake Monster
A Saskatchewan lake legend of a huge creature, claimed sightings and a sturgeon theoryFolklore
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreScottish folk music
Traditional ballads, fiddle tunes and bagpipe melodies from Scotland and its diasporaPerformance
🇬🇧 United KingdomThe Broad
A Cotswold Christmas figure: a bull's head on a pole, carried by a hidden performerFolklore
🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaZangfu脏腑
The traditional Chinese medical model of interconnected organ networks and vital energyFolklore
🇷🇺 RussiaBlack wedding
A traditional Jewish crisis wedding held in a cemetery to ward off diseaseSpiritual
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreQimen Dunjia奇門遁甲
A classical Chinese divination system that maps time, space, and strategySpiritual
🇨🇳 Hengyang, China and 1 moreShan'ge山歌
A family of Chinese folk ballads from the countryside, in many regional formsPerformance
🇨🇳 ChinaSanfutie三伏贴
A seasonal Chinese medicine practice applying herbal patches during peak summer heatSeasonal
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreRed Thread of Fate姻緣紅線
An East Asian belief in an invisible cord binding two people destined for marriageFolklore
🇬🇧 United KingdomWooing Play
A folk performance of farm labourers in the East Midlands, featuring a sieve horse.Performance
🇬🇧 United KingdomThe Knight's Ghost
A traditional folk ballad of grief, captive soldiers and a midnight spectral visitationPerformance
🇪🇸 SpainThe Water of LifeL'aigua de vida
A Catalan folk tale of a quest for magic water, a fragrant branch and a talking birdPerformance
🇬🇧 United KingdomAssipattle and the Stoor Worm
An Orcadian dragon-slayer tale of a fireside daydreamer who defeats a giant sea monsterFolklore
🇲🇳 Ölgii, MongoliaGaridгарьд
A top wrestling title in Mongolia, named for Genghis Khan's eagle and the mythical bird Garuda.Game
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCabañuelasLas cabañuelas
A traditional weather forecasting method using the first thirty-one days of January to predict the rest of the year.Folklore
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSack Man
A widespread folklore figure who carries a sack to take away disobedient childrenFolklore
🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaZangfu臟腑 (simplified 脏腑; zàngfǔ)
A Chinese medicine view of organs as networks of qi, blood and five phasesFolklore
🇨🇳 Ziyang, China and 1 moreThree Corpses三尸
A Daoist belief in three inner parasites that cause illness and cut life shortFolklore
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreChinese patchwork
A needlework craft joining fabric scraps into protective clothing, quilts and folk artCraft
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreFilifilí (Irish)
Ireland's and Scotland's trained poets, storytellers and seersPerformance
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreFive Grains五穀
A sacred grouping of staple crops honoured as the bedrock of East Asian civilizationFolklore
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTaiyin Xingjun太陰星君
The Chinese moon goddess, honoured at Mid-Autumn with incense, mooncakes and prayersSpiritual · Sweets given and shared
🇨🇳 ChinaSymbolic stars神煞
Helpful and harmful influences read from the Chinese calendar's stems and branchesFolklore
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreFairy ring
A natural ring of mushrooms formed by fungal growth, surrounded by folklore across Europe and beyond.Folklore
🇬🇧 Torry, United KingdomUnspoken Water
A Scottish healing custom in which water was fetched in silence and given to the sickFolklore
🇰🇼 Kuwait and 3 moreAl Sadu
A traditional Bedouin weaving craft from the Arabian Peninsula, known for geometric patterns and wool textiles.Craft
🇺🇦 Dnipro, UkraineCossack songs of the Dnipropetrovsk RegionКозацькі пісні Дніпропетровщини
Folk songs made by Cossacks, still sung in villages of the Dnipropetrovsk regionPerformance
🇲🇳 MongoliaBiyelgeeБиелгээ
A traditional Mongolian dance of upper body movements rooted in nomadic lifePerformance
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreSaint Nicholas
Boots out on 6 December: sweets for good children, a switch for the restFestival · Sweets given and shared
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Five Grains: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Garid: hu:Burumbátor, Public domain, source
- The Water of Life: Internet Archive Book Images, CC0, source
- Russian superstitions: Сергей Чеботарёв, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ogopogo: Hamedog at English Wikipedia ; cropped by Beyond My Ken ( talk ) 18:39, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Royal Shrovetide Football: Adrian Roebuck, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fili: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Fairy ring: User:Mrs skippy, Public domain, source
- Kwagh-Hir: Wilses, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Zangfu: Foristslow, CC BY 4.0, source
- Flower girl: lil'bear, CC BY 2.0, source
- Blutritt: Joseph Bayer, Public domain, source
- Witches of Benevento: Guglielmo della Porta, CC0, source
- Tooth ablation: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Scottish folk music: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black wedding: American Colony Photo Department, Public domain, source
- Taiyin Xingjun: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sack Man: Ponscor, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Three Corpses: Michał Boym, Public domain, source
- Chinese patchwork: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Al Sadu: Ashley Columbus, CC0, source
- Cossack songs of the Dnipropetrovsk Region: Юрій Булка, CC BY 4.0, source
- Biyelgee: J bayarmagnai, CC0, source
- Saint Nicholas: Chmee2, CC BY 3.0, source