🇮🇳 India
Holi celebrates the arrival of spring on the full moon of Phalguna with bonfires the night before, then coloured powder, water and sweets. It also recalls the story of Prahlad and Holika.
Read: HoliSpring and renewal: compared across 20 places
The same idea in 20 places, grouped by region. Each entry is a short portrait; follow the link for the full tradition.
South Asia 2Southeast Asia 1East Asia 3Central Asia and the Caucasus 1Middle East 2North Africa 1Sub-Saharan Africa 1Europe 4North America 2Latin America and the Caribbean 1Oceania 2
South Asia
🇳🇵 Nepal
Fagu Purnima is celebrated with colours in the hills, and the Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur marks the Nepali new year in April with a chariot procession and the raising of a pole. Water balloons and coloured powder are thrown, and sweets are shared on the streets.
Read: Biska JatraSoutheast Asia
🇹🇠Thailand
Songkran falls in April, the hottest time of year, with water poured respectfully on elders and playfully in the streets. Temples are cleaned and Buddha images washed.
Read: SongkranEast Asia
🇯🇵 Japan
Hanami, flower viewing, sees friends and families picnic beneath the cherry blossoms in March and April, and parks fill with blue tarpaulins, food and sake. The brief blossom reminds people of the fleeting nature of life.
Read: Hanami🇨🇳 China
The Qingming Festival combines tomb sweeping with outings in the new spring, kite flying and eating green rice dumplings. The Lantern Festival ends the new year.
Read: Qingming Festival🇰🇷 Korea
Cherry blossom festivals in Jinhae, azalea flower pancakes, hwajeon, on the third day of the third lunar month and kite flying on Lunar New Year are among the spring traditions. People in Seoul also gather in the parks of Yeouido to view cherry blossoms along the Han River.
Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, being writtenCentral Asia and the Caucasus
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
Women prepare sumalak, a sweet pudding of sprouted wheat, which is stirred in huge cauldrons through the night before Navruz, with songs and stories. Each family gives a share to the neighbours, and the stirring is a social event.
Read: NowruzMiddle East
🇮🇷 Iran
Nowruz has the haft-sin table set with sprouted wheat, sumac, garlic, apples, vinegar, coins and a hyacinth, and Persian families jump over a fire at Chaharshanbe Suri, saying "give me your red, take my yellow". On the thirteenth day of Nowruz, families spend the day outdoors and throw their sprouts into running water.
Read: Haft-sin🇮🇱 Israel and the Jewish world
Passover celebrates freedom with the seder meal, matzah and the telling of the Exodus story, and falls in spring. Purim, a month earlier, is a carnival of costumes and gifts.
Read: PassoverNorth Africa
🇪🇬 Egypt
Sham el-Nessim, the smelling of the breeze, is celebrated on the Monday after Coptic Easter, with picnics, painted eggs, fesikh fish and green onions. It traces back to ancient Egypt.
Read: Sham EnnessimSub-Saharan Africa
🇿🇦 South Africa
In August and September, the dry Namaqualand turns into a carpet of wild flowers, and visitors drive north to see it. Spring Day, on 1 September, is marked in schools and gardens.
Namaqualand, being writtenEurope
🇬🇷 Greece
Orthodox Easter is the great spring feast, with red eggs cracked together, a midnight service, lamb on a spit, and kouloures, braided bread. The first of March sees children wearing a martis bracelet for luck.
Read: Easter🇩🇪 Germany
Osterfeuer, Easter bonfires, tall Easter trees, painted eggs and the Osterhase, the bunny, mark the season, and May Day is the occasion for dancing around the maibaum, the maypole. On Walpurgis Night, 30 April, bonfires are lit in the Harz mountains, and the next day the maypole is raised.
Read: Maypole🇬🇧 United Kingdom
May Day is celebrated with maypole dancing, morris dancers and the Padstow 'Obby 'Oss. Hot cross buns and simnel cake are Easter foods, and the cheese-rolling at Cooper's Hill happens in May.
Read: May Day🇸🇪 Sweden
Walpurgis Night, on 30 April, is celebrated with bonfires, songs and a welcome to spring, and Easter involves children dressed as witches who collect sweets in return for painted cards. Eggs are painted, and families light bonfires on Easter Eve and eat herring, salmon and eggs at the Easter table.
Walpurgis Night, being writtenNorth America
🇺🇸 United States
Easter egg hunts and the White House Egg Roll, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, and the Hindu festival of Holi, celebrated in parks and campuses, mark the American spring. Many cities also hold springtime parades, such as the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York.
National Cherry Blossom Festival, being written🇲🇽 Mexico
Semana Santa processions and the reenactments of the Passion in Iztapalapa mark Holy Week, and the vernal equinox draws crowds to the pyramid of Chichen Itza to watch the serpent of light. The serpent effect is seen on the spring and autumn equinoxes and draws thousands of visitors.
Chichen Itza, being writtenLatin America and the Caribbean
🇨🇴 Colombia
Medellin's Feria de las Flores, in August, features silleteros, farmers who carry elaborate flower arrangements on their backs through the city. The tradition began in the mountain villages of Santa Elena.
Read: Festival of the FlowersOceania
🇦🇺 Australia
In September, spring begins with the Floriade flower festival in Canberra, and the Royal Easter Show in Sydney, held in autumn, is a harvest fair. Wattle blossom is the national flower.
Floriade, being written🇳🇿 New Zealand
Spring in September brings lambs, daffodils, the Blossom Festival in Hawke's Bay and the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival. Many Maori communities mark the planting season with karakia.
Spring, being writtenAbout this page
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.