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.

🇵🇭 PhilippinesFilipino wedding customsKasalan A blend of indigenous rituals and Christian traditions marking the union of two families in the Philippines.Rite of passage

🇲🇽 Tijuana, Mexico and 1 moreBirria A rich, seasoned meat stew from western Mexico, cooked for gatherings and holidaysTable custom · Feasts and festival meals

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

🇬🇷 Patras, GreecePatras CarnivalPatrino karnavali A winter carnival of parades, street games and satirical floats in western GreeceFestival

🇮🇪 Dublin, IrelandBarmbrackbairín breac A sweet Irish fruit loaf with charms baked in, eaten at Halloween and on New Year's EveTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇺🇸 Spokane, United States and 5 moreFather's Day A day to honour fathers and fatherhood, kept on many different dates worldwideFestival

🇱🇧 Lebanon and 2 moreAnnunciationΟ Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου A Christian feast marking the angel Gabriel's message to Mary about bearing Jesus, kept on 25 March.Festival

🇮🇱 Israel and 6 moreHoly SaturdaySabbatum Sanctum The closing day of Holy Week, a Saturday of waiting, fasting and vigil before EasterSpiritual

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

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 6 moreSaint George's Day A saint's feast on 23 April, kept by churches and patron nations from England to GeorgiaSpiritual

🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreVisitation A Christian feast commemorating Mary's journey to visit her cousin ElizabethSpiritual

🇩🇪 Wittenberg, Germany and 5 moreReformation Day An annual Christian observance marking the start of the Protestant ReformationSpiritual

🇬🇧 St Andrews, United Kingdom and 10 moreSaint Andrew's DayLà Naomh Anndrais The feast of Andrew the Apostle, kept on 30 November and Scotland's national daySpiritual

🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreOld New YearСтарый Новый год (Russian), Стара Нова година (Macedonian), Српска Нова година (Serbian), Hen Galan (Welsh) An informal holiday marking the start of the Julian calendar year, celebrated on 14 January in the Gregorian calendar.Festival · Dinner

🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreFirst Communion A Christian rite of passage marking a person's initial reception of the Eucharist.Rite of passage

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreMarian feast days Holy days across the liturgical year celebrating the life and veneration of Mary.Spiritual

🇱🇹 Lithuania and 5 moreNativity of John the Baptist A Christian feast day on June 24 that marks the birth of John the Baptist and anticipates Christmas.Festival

🇦🇲 ArmeniaHoly TuesdayMegali Triti A day of church services in Holy Week that remembers biblical parables about vigilance and readiness.Festival

🇰🇷 South Korea and 4 moreParents' Day어버이날 (Eobeoinal) Days set aside in several countries to thank mothers and fathersFestival

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreGrandparents' Day A single-day holiday kept on different dates in many countries to honour grandparentsFestival

🇬🇧 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

🇵🇱 Kraków, Poland and 5 moreDozhinkiDożynki A Slavic harvest festival of the last sheaf, a woven wreath and a shared mealSeasonal

🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreDay of the Holy InnocentsDía de los Santos Inocentes A 28 December day of pranks and fake news, kept in the Spanish-speaking worldFestival

🇩🇰 Denmark and 1 moreQuinquagesima The last Sunday before Lent in Western Christianity, marking the start of Carnival and Shrovetide.Festival · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια A barefoot firewalking and dance rite honouring Saint Constantine and Saint HelenSpiritual

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreYouth Day A commemorative holiday honoring young people and youth movements worldwideCeremony

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCavalcade of Magi A parade of the Three Magi through town on Epiphany Eve, with sweets thrown to the crowdFestival

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreTranslation of relicsTranslatio The ceremonial transfer of holy remains or relics to a new church or shrineSpiritual

🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreKoledariколядники A Slavic winter caroling custom of visiting homes with songs, masks and blessingsFestival

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 8 moreSaint Joseph's Day A 19 March feast honouring Jesus' earthly father, kept with altars and processionsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇫🇷 FranceLa soule A rough medieval ball game from Normandy and Picardy played between parishes on religious holidays.Game

🇮🇹 Italy and 6 morePatronal festivalFiesta patronal A town's yearly feast for its patron saint, with processions, a fair and shared foodFestival

🇦🇲 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

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

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

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 10 moreEgg decorating Decorating eggs with dye, wax and carving, kept at Easter, Nowruz and springCraft

🇨🇴 ColombiaLittle Candles DayDía de las velitas Candles and paper lanterns across Colombia on the night before the Immaculate ConceptionSpiritual

🇸🇾 Syria and 6 moreKha b'Nisanܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ A spring new year on 1 April, kept with parades, poems and dancing by AssyriansFestival

🇧🇬 Plovdiv, Bulgaria and 8 moreDay of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and CultureДен на българската просвета и култура и на славянската писменост Bulgaria's public holiday for its alphabet, schools and culture, kept each 24 MayFestival

🇧🇴 San Ignacio de Moxos, BoliviaIchapekene Piesta A four-day festival of dance, feathers and procession in San Ignacio de Moxos, BoliviaFestival

🇧🇪 Geraardsbergen, BelgiumKrakelingen and Tonnekensbrand A bread throw and a hilltop bonfire that close the winter in GeraardsbergenFestival

🇧🇦 Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina and 1 moreMedjugorje International Youth Festival A six-day August gathering of Catholic youth in Medjugorje, Bosnia and HerzegovinaFestival 🇦🇱 Gjirokastër, Albania and 5 moreDodola and Perperuna A rainmaking ritual kept across Southeast Europe, where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summerSpiritual

🇬🇹 Antigua Guatemala, GuatemalaHoly Week in GuatemalaSemana Santa Street processions of floats, purple-robed penitents and sawdust carpets in GuatemalaSpiritual

🇵🇱 Poland and 3 morePodłaźniczka A decorated evergreen branch hung over the Christmas Eve table in Poland and SlovakiaFestival

🇷🇴 Bucharest, Romania and 2 moreCaloian A Romanian rainmaking and fertility ritual centered on the creation, funeral, and rebirth of a clay effigy.Festival

🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreRäucherkerze A scented incense cone burned in German and Czech homes during the Christmas season to fill rooms with fragrance.Festival

🇲🇽 Tlayacapan, MexicoChinelos Masked dancers from Morelos who spoof colonial manners at CarnivalPerformance

Photo credits on this page

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

Patras Carnival: www.infocenterpatras.gr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Reformation Day: 95Thesen.jpg : User:Shizhao derivative work: 6birc ( talk ), Public domain, source
Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Barmbrack: Solo Beckett, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint George's Day: Raphael, Public domain, source
Medjugorje International Youth Festival: Piotr Frydecki, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Holy Saturday: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Grandparents' Day: Wendy Berry, CC BY 2.0, source
Day of the Holy Innocents: Attributed to Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Public domain, source
Dozhinki: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Cavalcade of Magi: Diario de Madrid, CC BY 4.0, source
Little Candles Day: CarUno, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint Joseph's Day: Guido Reni, Public domain, source
Egg decorating: L.Kenzel, CC BY 3.0, source
Kha b'Nisan: Athrakado, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Chinelos: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Father's Day: Jjsarto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Nativity of Mary: Giotto, Public domain, source
Old New Year: ceridwen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Nativity of John the Baptist: Brakeet, CC0, source
Twelve Days of Christmas: Giotto, Public domain, source
Quinquagesima: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Translation of relics: User:Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Koledari: Mikhail Germashev, Public domain, source
La soule: Unknown author Unknown author illustrator (based on a sketch by M.J.L., Public domain, source
Feast of the Transfiguration: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
Kulig: various, Public domain, source
Caloian: Costică Acsinte Archive, No restrictions, source
Holy Week in Guatemala: derivative work: Sir James ( talk ) VolcanAguaPascuas.jpg :Infrogmatio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Räucherkerze: Richard Huber, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Krakelingen and Tonnekensbrand: Jan Coppens at nl.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 1.0, source
Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
Parents' Day: 草花写真館, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Patronal festival: Ranieljosecastaneda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Annunciation: El Greco, Public domain, source
Visitation: Giotto, Public domain, source
Youth Day: Andrey Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Holy Tuesday: Brothers Dalziel / John Everett Millais, CC0, source
Saint Sylvester's Day: Unknown medieval artist in Rome, Public domain, source
Podłaźniczka: Unknown author, Public domain, source
First Communion: Fortepan adományozó URBÁN TAMÁS, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Filipino wedding customs: John Ryan Cordova, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Birria: Equipo 9mkt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Carnival: Etienne Le Cocq, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ichapekene Piesta: Viaje al corazón de Bolivia, CC BY 2.0, source