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.

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreChristmas A festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared mealsFestival

🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreHalloween An annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritageFestival · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreValentine's Day A Christian feast day and cultural celebration of love kept on February 14 in many countries.Festival

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreMother's Day A worldwide annual celebration dedicated to mothers, maternal bonds and family careHome

🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreChristmas tree A decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.Festival

🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreHoly WeekἉγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς The solemn seven days leading to Easter, recalling the final week and Passion of JesusSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreChristmas Eve The evening before Christmas, marked by church services, family meals, and gift preparations across Christian cultures.Festival · Dinner

🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain and 5 moreFeast of Corpus ChristiCorpus Domini A Christian feast celebrating the presence of Christ in the bread and wine of the EucharistSpiritual

🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico and 1 moreDay of the DeadDía de Muertos A Mexican remembrance of deceased family and friends with altars, marigolds and feastsFestival · Sweets given and shared

🇫🇷 France and 5 moreCandlemas A Christian feast of candle blessings marking the end of the Christmas seasonSpiritual

🇮🇪 Waterford, IrelandPatternpátrún A parish feast honoring a patron saint, marked by prayers at holy wells and local gatherings in Ireland.Spiritual

🇹🇱 Dili, Timor-Leste and 1 moreTais Traditional hand-woven cloth of East Timor, worn as dress or used in ceremonies and exchange.Dress

🇵🇹 Lisbon, PortugalMarchas Populares Neighbourhood teams march, dance and sing through Lisbon's June nights for St AnthonyFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇧🇲 BermudaBermuda kite Flying bright geometric kites on Good Friday across Bermuda to mark EasterCraft

🇸🇪 Sweden and 3 moreAdventadventus A four-week Christian season of waiting and preparation for Christmas and the Second Coming.Festival

🇿🇦 South Africa and 1 moreDay of the VowGeloftedag A religious public holiday in South Africa kept by Afrikaners to honour a vow made before the Battle of Blood River.Festival

🇵🇭 Manila, Philippines and 5 moreNovena A nine-day Christian prayer tradition for petitions, feasts, or mourning.Spiritual

🇧🇴 Oruro, Bolivia and 3 moreMorenada A Bolivian folk dance featuring heavy masks and rattling instruments, performed in festivals across the Andes.Performance

🇲🇽 San Salvador Huixcolotla, Mexico and 1 morePapel picado A Mexican folk art of cutting intricate designs into tissue paper for festive and spiritual displays.Festival

🇵🇷 Ponce, Puerto RicoVejigante A masked folkloric character in Puerto Rican festivals, wearing ornate masks and performing a role of mischief or resistFestival

🇵🇭 PhilippinesPandanggo A lively Philippine folk dance of quick steps, clapping and balanced lightsPerformance

🇲🇦 Marrakesh, Morocco and 5 moreGnawa musicڭْناوة or كْناوة A spiritual musical tradition of Morocco that blends West African rhythms with Islamic ritual to heal and connect communPerformance

🇬🇪 Tbilisi, Georgia and 4 moreGeorgian polyphonic singing Several voices at once, sung without instruments at Georgian feasts and weddingsPerformance

🇲🇽 Huamantla, Mexico and 4 moreSawdust carpettapete de aserrín Colored sawdust designs laid on streets to greet religious processions in Latin America and beyond.Festival 🇳🇬 Ibadan, Nigeria and 1 moreYoruba naming ceremonyÌkòlọ́pọ̀ Orúkọ Yorùbá A rite of passage where a newborn receives a destiny name through divination and family celebration.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesKrewe Carnival clubs that stage parades, balls, and pageantry along the Gulf CoastFestival

🇪🇸 Seville, SpainHoly Week in SevilleSemana Santa de Sevilla A week of solemn processions and floats through the streets of Seville to mark the Passion of Christ.Spiritual 🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreWhite SundayLotu Tamaiti A Samoan holiday honoring children with church services, white clothing, and family gatherings on the second Sunday of OFestival · Dinner

🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, SpainBotafumeiro A giant swinging censer of brass and silver that fills the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral with incense during solemn fSpiritual

🇵🇭 Manila, Philippines and 1 moreSimbang Gabi A nine-day series of early morning Masses held in the Philippines to prepare for Christmas.Festival

🇬🇪 Tbilisi, GeorgiaGeorgian danceქართული ცეკვა Martial, courtship, and celebratory regional dances from across GeorgiaPerformance

🇧🇷 Belém, BrazilCarimbó A dance and music genre from the Amazon region of Brazil, centered around a wooden drum.Performance

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilRio CarnivalCarnaval do Rio de Janeiro Five days of samba parades, costumes and street parties in Rio, ending at LentFestival

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreTrunk-or-treating A safer Halloween alternative where treats are handed out from decorated car trunks in parking lots.Festival

🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreHabesha coffee ceremonyቡና ማፍላት A daily ritual of roasting, grinding and serving coffee to welcome guests in Ethiopia and EritreaEtiquette

🇺🇸 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

🇨🇱 ChileNgillatun A communal Mapuche rite of prayer, sacrifice and dance to maintain cosmic balanceSpiritual

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreHoly FireἋγιον Φῶς A fire ceremony in Jerusalem each year, kept by Orthodox Christians before EasterSpiritual

🇳🇴 Norway and 3 moreJulebukkingGå julebukk A Scandinavian Christmas custom where masked visitors go door to door for songs and treats.Festival

🇹🇻 TuvaluMusic of Tuvalu Rhythmic storytelling dances and choral singing from the Polynesian atolls of TuvaluPerformance

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreChristmas carol Festive songs and hymns sung during the Christmas season and door to doorPerformance

🇺🇸 United StatesFeast of the Seven FishesFesta dei sette pesci An Italian-American Christmas Eve seafood dinner marking abstinence from meat.Table custom · Dinner

🇳🇬 Calabar, NigeriaCalabar Carnival An annual December street festival and cultural gathering held in Calabar, NigeriaFestival

🇪🇪 EstoniaJaanipäev Estonia's midsummer night of bonfires, song and fortune-telling, on 23 and 24 JuneFestival

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkFaroese chain danceFøroyskur dansur A living medieval chain dance guided by sung ballads in the Faroe IslandsPerformance

🇪🇸 Pamplona, Spain and 3 moreRunning of the bullsencierro Runners sprint ahead of loose bulls through barricaded town streets in summerFestival

🇮🇪 Ireland and 2 moreJack-o'-lantern A carved pumpkin lantern lit with a candle to brighten and protect Halloween nightsFolklore

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreBarn raising A communal tradition where neighbours assemble to erect a farm barn in a few daysCraft · Lunch

Photo credits on this page

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

Jack-o'-lantern: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Christmas tree: Lechhansl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Christmas: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Public domain, source
Mother's Day: Dave Parker, CC BY 2.0, source
Holy Week: Anonymous ( Maasland ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
Running of the bulls: The original uploader was Bernard bill5 at Dutch Wikipedia . Later ver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Chichilaki: Mostafameraji, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Rio Carnival: Sergio Luiz, CC BY 2.0, source
Feast of Corpus Christi: Fennec ., Public domain, source
Candlemas: Andrea Mantegna, Public domain, source
Holy Fire: William Holman Hunt, Public domain, source
Jaanipäev: Jaan Künnap, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Barn raising: Alexander W. Galbraith, Public domain, source
Feast of the Seven Fishes: GW Fins, CC BY 2.0, source
Christmas carol: Prathyush Thomas, GFDL 1.2, source
Music of Tuvalu: Avenue, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Faroese chain dance: Eileen Sandá, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Calabar Carnival: Raji kunle, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ngillatun: Francisco Cavallo, Public domain, source
Krewe: Tim Ross, Public domain, source
Saint Patrick's Day in the United States: White House/Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
Pandanggo: John Charlton, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Papel picado: Ferfive, CC BY 4.0, source
Carimbó: Palácio do Planalto, CC BY 2.0, source
Holy Week in Seville: Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Simbang Gabi: Avito C. Dalan for the Philippine News Agency, Public domain, source
Advent: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Gnawa music: Lucyin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Julebukking: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Botafumeiro: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez ( Lmbuga Commons )( Lmbuga Galipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tais: Daderot, CC0, source
Day of the Vow: South African Railways and Harbours public relations department, Public domain, source
Marchas Populares: Taisir85, CC BY 4.0, source
Vejigante: Oscar Rohena, CC BY 2.0, source
Trunk-or-treating: Lance Cpl. Scott L. Tomaszycki, Public domain, source
Habesha coffee ceremony: sameffron, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Morenada: Alfredobi, CC BY 3.0, source
Sawdust carpet: Rosalba Muñoz RomeroLia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bermuda kite: Aodhdubh ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Pattern: code poet, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Novena: Catedrales e Iglesias/Cathedrals and Churches, CC BY 2.0, source
Christmas Eve: Carl Larsson, Public domain, source
Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Valentine's Day: Upload: Chordboard, Public domain, source