🇮🇳 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
When the days lengthen and the ground softens, people around the world celebrate.
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When the days lengthen and the ground softens, people around the world celebrate. Spring festivals welcome the return of green, flowers, light and the farming year, and they are among the most colourful of all. Holi throws powders of every colour, Nowruz sets a table with sprouts, Easter brings eggs and lilies, Hanami gathers friends under cherry blossom, May Day crowns a queen and dances around a pole, Songkran splashes water. Each has its own story, but all are about new life. Here is how different cultures greet the spring and what the customs mean to those who keep them.
What it is for
Spring marks the end of the cold, the return of growth and the start of sowing, and festivals ask for fertility and a good year. The mood is playful, as people have long stored up energy through winter and enjoy letting it out. Many spring festivals are also times for cleansing and forgiveness, as in Holi and Easter, and for renewal of promises and friendships. They remind people of nature's cycle and of their place in it, and offer a chance to be outdoors together again after the long indoor season.
Common elements across cultures
Flowers, green branches and sprouted grain decorate houses and towns. Fires and water play a role: bonfires to burn winter, water to cleanse and bless. Eggs, seeds and young animals symbolise new life, and people clean their homes, put on new clothes and visit family. Public gatherings include processions, dances around a pole or fire, and games. Many cultures hold a market of seedlings or a plant exchange, and farmers bless the fields. Dates are often tied to the equinox or the first full moon after it.
Food, dress and music
Spring foods are fresh: sprouts, young greens, herbs, lamb, eggs, honey, new dairy and sweets such as gujiya, hot cross buns and simnel cake. Dress is light and bright: white at Holi, new clothes for Nowruz, floral wreaths for May Day and kimono for hanami picnics. Music is lively, with folk songs of the season, drums and pipes. Dance is common, from the maypole and the Morris dance of England to the Holi folk songs of Braj and the stick dances of the Balkans.
How it is changing
Holi and Easter egg hunts have spread far beyond their original homes, and cherry blossom forecasts are followed by millions. Climate change has shifted the timing of blossoms and plantings, and some festivals now keep an eye on the weather as much as the calendar. Cities organise parades, flower shows and markets, and many families keep the home customs of cleaning and cooking. Spring remains a gentle and hopeful festival time, with interest in local food and gardening growing across the world.
Spring and renewal around the world
🇳🇵 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 Jatra🇮🇷 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🇯🇵 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 writtenTraditions to start with
Questions people ask
Why are eggs a symbol of spring?
An egg contains new life and has been a symbol of rebirth in many cultures, from ancient Persia to Christian Easter. Eggs are painted, hidden, cracked and eaten at spring festivals.
Why does Holi use colours?
Colours celebrate spring's flowers, the playful love of Krishna and Radha and the joy of equality, as everyone is coloured alike. The festival is also a time to forgive.
What is the haft-sin table?
The Persian new year table with seven items beginning with the letter sin, such as sprouts, apples and garlic, each symbolising an aspect of life like health, beauty or patience.
Is spring in March everywhere?
Only in the northern hemisphere, and the date depends on the calendar. In the southern hemisphere, spring starts in September, and in the tropics the seasons follow rains rather than temperature.
What is a maypole?
A tall pole, decorated with flowers and ribbons, around which dancers weave in a pattern on May Day. It is a custom found in many parts of Europe.
About 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.
Spring and renewal on EveryParampara
The traditions written up so far, best known first.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇳🇴 Oslo, NorwayRussefeiring
A spring graduation rite of passage for Norwegian secondary school studentsRite of passage
🇷🇴 RomaniaDragobete
A Romanian festival of young love and spring, celebrated with early flowers and courtshipFestival
🇮🇷 Amol, Iran and 3 moreTirganتیرگان (Tirgān)
An ancient Iranian summer festival of water, poetry and rainbow bands, kept on the thirteenth day of Tir.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Yazd, Iran and 1 moreSadehسده
An ancient midwinter festival of fire, light, and the approach of springFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Anandpur Sahib, IndiaHola Mohallaਹੋਲਾ-ਮਹੱਲਾ
A three-day Sikh festival of martial arts, poetry, shared meals and grand processionsFestival
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanNovruzNovruz Bayramı
The Azerbaijani spring equinox festival of bonfires, sweets and sprouted wheatSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Jaipur, IndiaGangaurगणगौर
A North Indian spring festival honouring Shiva and Gauri with clay idols and processionsFestival · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSechseläutenSächsilüüte
Zurich's spring festival marked by guild parades and the burning of a snowman effigySeasonal
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreMummers' play
A comic folk drama of staged combat, death, and revival by an eccentric doctorPerformance
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreCheti Chandچيٽي چنڊ
The Sindhi New Year festival celebrating the arrival of spring and JhulelalSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Guwahati, IndiaBohag Bihu
A multi-day Assamese New Year festival of cattle rites, music, gifts and feastsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreDol Purnima
A Hindu spring festival honouring Radha and Krishna with swing processions and colourFestival
🇦🇱 Elbasan, Albania and 3 moreDita e Verës
An Albanian spring festival of bonfires, sweets and nature renewal on March 14Seasonal
🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptSham Ennessimشم النسيم
An Egyptian spring festival of picnics, salted fish, green onions and painted eggsSeasonal
🇺🇿 Bukhara, UzbekistanNavruzNavroʻz
The spring equinox festival celebrated across Uzbekistan with sumalak and family visits.Seasonal · Sweets given and shared
🇪🇸 Valencia, SpainCremà
The ceremonial burning of large artistic street monuments across the Valencian communityFestival
🇱🇹 LithuaniaUžgavėnės
A Lithuanian winter-ending festival of masks, mock battles and pancakesFestival
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreSaint Patrick's DayLá Fhéile Pádraig
An annual Irish holiday of parades, church services, green dress and shamrocksFestival
🇺🇸 New York, United States and 1 moreEaster parade
A festive Easter Sunday stroll featuring stylish clothes and elaborate bonnetsFestival
🇱🇹 Vilnius, Lithuania and 3 moreSaint Casimir's FairKaziuko mugė
A spring craft market and folk celebration across the historic streets of VilniusCraft
🇵🇰 PakistanChilam Joshi
A spring festival of music, dance, and prayers celebrated by the Kalash peopleFestival
🇬🇷 GreeceMagiritsaΜαγειρίτσα
A Greek lamb offal soup eaten after the midnight Easter service to break the fastTable custom · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSeville FairFeria de Abril de Sevilla
A week-long spring festival in Seville of carriage parades, marquee tents and dancingFestival · Dinner
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanAoi Matsuri葵祭
A classical Kyoto festival with an imperial procession and ancient shrine ritualsFestival
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanKoinobori鯉のぼり
Carp-shaped windsocks flown across Japan for Children's Day in springFestival
🇻🇳 VietnamTếtTết Nguyên Đán
The Vietnamese festival of the lunar new year, welcoming spring with family gatheringsFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif, AfghanistanNowruzنوروز
The Afghan spring new year, celebrated with picnics, wheat pudding and dried fruit.Seasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇸🇮 Ptuj, Slovenia and 1 moreKurentovanje
A rite of spring and carnival in Ptuj with masked bell-ringers chasing winter awayFestival
🇨🇱 Santiago, ChileFiestas Patrias
Chile's homeland festivities celebrating national identity with music, dance, and foodCeremony
🇩🇪 Saalfeld, Germany and 5 moreEaster egg treeOstereierbaum
A German springtime custom of dressing living trees and branches with blown eggsFestival
🇨🇳 Dali, ChinaThird Month Fair三月街
A mountain-foot bazaar, festival, and sports gathering among the Bai in YunnanFestival
🇯🇵 Takayama, JapanTakayama Festival高山祭
Twin seasonal shrine festivals in Japan famed for elaborate lantern-lit floatsFestival
🇧🇪 Binche, BelgiumCarnival of BincheCarnaval de Binche
A Belgian pre-Lenten festival known for masked dancers and orange tossingFestival
🇱🇺 Luxembourg and 3 moreBuergbrennen
A bonfire festival marking the end of winter on the first Sunday of Lent in LuxembourgSeasonal
🇳🇱 NetherlandsBloemencorso Bollenstreek
An annual mid-April parade of flower-covered floats across the Dutch bulb regionFestival
🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandLajkonikLajkoniki
An annual hobby-horse pageant through the streets of Kraków each JuneFestival
🇨🇴 Medellín, ColombiaFestival of the FlowersFeria de las Flores
An annual week-long celebration of floral craft and regional culture in MedellínFestival
🇵🇱 PolandEaster in Poland
A spring holiday of family breakfasts, blessed baskets, decorated eggs, and water games.Festival · Breakfast
🇯🇵 Suwa, JapanOnbashira Festival式年造営御柱大祭
A rite in Nagano where massive fir logs are dragged down mountains and raised at shrinesSpiritual
🇵🇸 Jericho, PalestineNabi Musaٱلنَّبِي مُوْسَى
An annual Palestinian Muslim pilgrimage and festival honoring the prophet MosesSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSongkranสงกรานต์
The three-day Thai New Year festival marked by water rituals and blessings for eldersFestival
🇩🇪 Cologne, Germany and 2 moreGerman CarnivalKarneval
Pre-Lenten street parades, costume balls and local revels across German-speaking lands.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇹 Florence, ItalyScoppio del Carro
An Easter Sunday fireworks display ignited by a flying dove in FlorenceFestival
🇯🇵 JapanHigan彼岸
A Japanese Buddhist week of reflection and ancestor remembrance at the equinoxesSpiritual
🇧🇬 Kazanlak, BulgariaRose FestivalФестивал на розата
An annual harvest celebration of damask roses across the Rose Valley of BulgariaFestival
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanJapanese New Year正月
An annual celebration of renewal, seasonal foods, and bell ringing across JapanSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaSarhul
A spring new year festival honoring nature and Sal blossoms across JharkhandSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇧🇩 Dhaka, BangladeshPohela Falgunপহেলা ফাল্গুন
A Bangladeshi festival welcoming the first day of spring with music and flowersSeasonal
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Holi: Jitenderasingh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hanami: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- May Day: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
- Passover: User:RadRafe~commonswiki, Public domain, source
- Russefeiring: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Sadeh: Farzad j, Public domain, source
- Tirgan: LACIPETO, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Novruz: Abutalub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Sechseläuten: anonymous, Public domain, source
- Mummers' play: Aladjov, CC BY 3.0, source
- Dol Purnima: Satyabrata sahoo369, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dita e Verës: Bibiomn, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sham Ennessim: Ikonact, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Navruz: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cremà: Paula Ramírez Morant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pohela Falgun: Ashraf Siddiqui, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rose Festival: Animsaj, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- German Carnival: Neva Micheva, CC BY 2.5, source
- Buergbrennen: luxpim, CC BY 2.0, source
- Easter egg tree: Frank schubert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Magiritsa: Andrew Dalby, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Užgavėnės: Algirdas at Lithuanian Wikipedia, GFDL, source
- Festival of the Flowers: SajoR, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Saint Patrick's Day: rannṗáirtí anaiṫnid ( coṁrá ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Easter parade: Meister der Palastkapelle in Palermo, Public domain, source
- Saint Casimir's Fair: Sirex at Lithuanian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Chilam Joshi: Jugni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Seville Fair: Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Aoi Matsuri: Japanexperterna, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Koinobori: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, source
- Tết: vi:Lưu Ly, Public domain, source
- Nowruz: Peretz Partensky, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kurentovanje: Aleš Kravos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fiestas Patrias: Osmar Valdebenito, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Hola Mohalla: Aayush sharma 923, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Third Month Fair: ZhaoScorpio, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Takayama Festival: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Carnival of Binche: Marie-Claire, CC BY 3.0, source
- Gangaur: Avinashmaurya, CC BY 3.0, source
- Bloemencorso Bollenstreek: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lajkonik: Igor123121, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Easter in Poland: Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Onbashira Festival: Si-take. at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nabi Musa: Mujaddara, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Songkran: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เ, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cheti Chand: Coolross ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Higan: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bohag Bihu: Diganta Talukdar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Japanese New Year: No machine-readable author provided. Sixgimic assumed (based on copyri, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sarhul: Gurpreet Singh Ranchi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Easter: Piero della Francesca, Public domain, source
- Songkran: Khunmoohan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source