Christian traditions

Christian traditions span the globe, from Ethiopian Orthodox fasts and Filipino Simbang Gabi to Swedish Lucia, Mexican posadas, Easter in Greece and the harvest services of Britain.

Christian traditions span the globe, from Ethiopian Orthodox fasts and Filipino Simbang Gabi to Swedish Lucia, Mexican posadas, Easter in Greece and the harvest services of Britain. They centre on Christmas, Lent, Holy Week and Easter, Pentecost, saints' days and the sacraments of baptism, communion, marriage and burial. Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Pentecostal churches each have their customs, and local cultures have shaped them in distinct ways. Here they are described with respect for the believers who keep them, and for the variety of ways of keeping them.

The church year

The year begins with Advent and builds to Christmas, then Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week and Easter, followed by Pentecost and the long season of ordinary time. Saints' days mark local patrons, and many towns have a patronal feast with a procession and fair. Orthodox churches keep their own calendar, so Christmas falls on 7 January in several countries. Fasting seasons shape food, and feasts follow.

Around the world

Christians in different countries have made the faith their own: the dawn masses of the Philippines, the carols of Wales, the gospel choirs of the American South, the white-clad pilgrims of Lalibela, the Corpus Christi carpets of flowers in Spain, and the Nativity scenes of Naples. These customs combine faith with local food, music and craft, and are among the most visible traditions of the world.

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Christian (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico and 2 moreDay of the DeadDía de Muertos A Mexican remembrance of deceased family and friends with altars, marigolds and feastsFestival · Sweets given and shared

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSaint Patrick's Day in the United States An annual celebration of Irish heritage across America with parades, feasts and green dyeFestival · Dinner

🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreImbolcLá Fhéile Bríde A Gaelic festival heralding spring and honoring Saint Brigid with woven rush crossesSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreFat Thursday A Thursday before Lent when doughnuts, grilled meat and Carnival take overFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇪 Ireland and 6 moreSaint Stephen's Day A Christian feast day celebrating the first martyr with feasts, rides and folk customs.Spiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 4 moreMay Day A traditional European festival welcoming summer with greenery, dances and bonfiresSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesThanksgiving An annual American holiday of gratitude, family gatherings and an autumn harvest feastFestival · Dinner

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 4 moreRisalamande A chilled Danish Christmas rice dessert with cream, chopped almonds and cherry sauceTable custom · Sweets given and shared

🇲🇽 Mexico and 8 moreLas Posadas A nine-night Christmas pageant remembering Mary and Joseph seeking shelterSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreEnkutatashእንቁጣጣሽ The Ethiopian New Year festival of song, yellow daisies and family feastsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇨🇦 CanadaThanksgivingAction de grâce An annual Canadian autumn holiday celebrating the harvest with family feastsFestival · Dinner

🇸🇪 SwedenJul A midwinter holiday of feast tables, doorstep gift givers, and candlelit morningsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇭 Cape Coast, GhanaFetu Afahye A harvest festival of cleansing, boat races and royal durbars in Cape Coast, GhanaFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreRéveillon A luxurious late-night feast that stretches until dawn across the winter holidaysTable custom · Dinner

🇩🇰 DenmarkJul Winter feasts, carols around the tree, and family gatherings across DenmarkFestival · Lunch

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreSaffron bun A golden, spiced yeast roll flavoured with saffron, baked for festive and holy daysTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇭🇹 Port-au-Prince, HaitiHaitian CarnivalKanaval Haiti's annual street festival of music, satirical plays and costumed paradesFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇩🇪 Cologne, Germany and 2 moreGerman CarnivalKarneval Pre-Lenten street parades, costume balls and local revels across German-speaking lands.Festival · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 3 moreMalankaМаланка A Ukrainian folk celebration of masked mummers, feasting and New Year blessingsFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇷 GreeceMagiritsaΜαγειρίτσα A Greek lamb offal soup eaten after the midnight Easter service to break the fastTable custom · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇪🇸 Jijona, Spain and 5 moreTurrón A festive Mediterranean nut-and-honey confection shared at Christmas and local feastsTable custom · Sweets given and shared 🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 3 moreLittle ChristmasNollaig na mBan A January feast day marking the close of the twelve days of ChristmasSeasonal · Dinner

🇷🇺 Moscow, RussiaChristmas in RussiaРождество Христово An Orthodox winter feast marked by church vigils, fasting suppers and festive mealsSpiritual · Supper

🇦🇲 Armenia and 1 moreTrndezտրնդեզ An Armenian fire feast forty days after Christmas, kept with bonfires and shared sweetsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreVasilopitaΒασιλόπιτα A New Year bread or cake with a coin baked inside, shared out slice by sliceTable custom · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreEasterΠάσχα The day Christians mark the resurrection, kept with vigils, feasts and eggsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇳🇴 NorwayJul An eight-week Norwegian midwinter season of feasts, family gatherings, and gift-givingSeasonal · Lunch

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreHarvest festival A thanks for the gathered crop, kept with church meals, songs and shared foodSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇳🇴 Norway and 2 moreJulebord A Scandinavian Christmas banquet of traditional dishes, festive drinks and celebrationTable custom · Feasts and festival meals

🇪🇹 Lalibela, Ethiopia and 1 moreTimkatጥምቀት The Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Epiphany celebrating the baptism of JesusSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreMothering Sunday A mid-Lent Christian observance and family celebration of mothers and mother churchesSeasonal · Breakfast

🇫🇮 FinlandChristmas in Finlandjoulu A quiet midwinter festival of saunas, grave candles and table casseroles across FinlandSeasonal · Dinner

🇮🇪 Killorglin, Ireland and 1 moreLughnasadhLúnasa A Gaelic festival marking the start of harvest with feasts, fairs and mountain walksSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands and 4 moreSinterklaasSinterklaas / Sint-Nicolaas A Dutch winter feast on 5 and 6 December, when Saint Nicholas brings gifts to childrenFestival · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇹 Venice, Italy and 5 moreCarnival A season of parades, masks and feasting in the days before LentFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreNativity of Mary A Christian feast day honouring the birth of Mary, the mother of JesusSpiritual · Lunch

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreRadonitsaРа́доница (Russian), Ра́даўніца (Belarusian) A spring day when Orthodox families visit graves, share Easter food and greet the deadSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreTwelve Days of Christmas A festive Christian liturgical season linking Christmas Day to the eve of EpiphanySeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇦🇲 Armenia and 5 moreFeast of the TransfigurationՊայծառակերպութիւն A Christian holy day marking the revelation of Christ's divine glory on Mount TaborSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇵🇱 Zakopane, PolandKulig A traditional Polish winter sleigh ride party celebrated during the Carnival seasonFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreSaint Sylvester's Day A Christian feast day and year-end celebration marked across Europe and beyondSeasonal · Dinner

🇷🇸 Serbia and 2 moreZapisзапис A consecrated village tree marked with a cross, venerated in Serbian folk traditionSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇸🇪 Sweden and 2 moreSaint Knut's DayTjugondag Knut A Nordic holiday marking the twentieth and final day of Christmas each JanuarySeasonal · Sweets given and shared

🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreĐurđevdanЂурђевдан A spring festival and feast of Saint George kept across the Balkans and Eastern EuropeFestival · Feasts and festival meals

Photo credits on this page

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

Harvest festival: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
May Day: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
Jul: Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Risalamande: Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Thanksgiving: Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, Public domain, source
Las Posadas: Yavidaxiu, CC BY 3.0, source
Enkutatash: Nati Tad, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fetu Afahye: Kofiarkohbaidoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Thanksgiving: Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Saffron bun: Nenniu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Haitian Carnival: User:Doron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
German Carnival: Neva Micheva, CC BY 2.5, source
Malanka: Viktoriyasechkar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Magiritsa: Andrew Dalby, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fat Thursday: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Turrón: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
Christmas in Russia: Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint Patrick's Day in the United States: White House/Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
Trndez: Armineaghayan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Vasilopita: Μυρμηγκάκι, Public domain, source
Easter: Piero della Francesca, Public domain, source
Radonitsa: Perohanych, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nativity of Mary: Giotto, Public domain, source
Twelve Days of Christmas: Giotto, Public domain, source
Feast of the Transfiguration: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
Kulig: various, Public domain, source
Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint Stephen's Day: Carlo Crivelli, Public domain, source
Saint Sylvester's Day: Unknown medieval artist in Rome, Public domain, source
Jul: Erik Christensen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Julebord: Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Timkat: Jean Rebiffé, CC BY 4.0, source
Mothering Sunday: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Christmas in Finland: Uploaded by Sigketill, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Zapis: Zblagojevic, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lughnasadh: Mountainash333, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Đurđevdan: Anonymous Russian icon painter (before 1917) Public domain image (acco, Public domain, source
Sinterklaas: R.F. (Roel) Jorna, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Carnival: Etienne Le Cocq, CC BY-SA 3.0, source