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

🇦🇺 Australia and 5 moreGood Friday A solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇵🇭 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

🇺🇸 New York, United States and 5 moreFeast of the Ascension The fortieth day of Easter, when Christians remember Jesus being taken up into heavenSpiritual 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 3 moreAs-salamu alaykumسَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ A traditional Arabic greeting of peace exchanged in daily life and prayerEtiquette

🇪🇸 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

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

🇲🇽 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

🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreName day A calendar tradition where people celebrate the feast day of the saint after whom they are named.Festival

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

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

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

🇲🇽 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

🇮🇪 Waterford, IrelandPatternpátrún A parish feast honoring a patron saint, marked by prayers at holy wells and local gatherings in Ireland.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, Spain and 7 moreCamino de SantiagoEl Camino de Santiago A Christian walking pilgrimage across Europe to the shrine of Saint James in SpainSpiritual

🇲🇬 MadagascarValiha A bamboo tube zither from Madagascar, played for recreation and spirit ritualsPerformance

🇵🇸 Jerusalem, Palestine and 2 moreStations of the CrossVia Crucis A Christian prayer journey following fourteen moments of the Passion of JesusSpiritual

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

🇳🇿 New Zealand and 2 moreMarae A cleared, sacred gathering place at the heart of Māori and Polynesian community lifeSpiritual

🇲🇽 Huamantla, Mexico and 4 moreSawdust carpettapete de aserrín Colored sawdust designs laid on streets to greet religious processions in Latin America and beyond.Festival

🇨🇺 CubaAbakuá An Afro-Cuban initiatory brotherhood rooted in West African sacred traditionsSpiritual

🇳🇬 NigeriaMmanwuMmanwụ An Igbo masquerade tradition invoking ancestral spirits through masked performanceSpiritual

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

🇿🇦 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

🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 morePeʻa The traditional Samoan rite of full-body tattooing for men, tapped by master artistsRite of passage

🇬🇭 Accra, GhanaFantasy coffinsAbebuu adekai Custom hand-carved burial caskets shaped as animals, tools and symbols in southern GhanaRite of passage

🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 moreConclave Cardinals sealed in the Sistine Chapel, voting until two thirds agree on a new popeSpiritual 🇳🇿 New ZealandKarakia Māori incantations and prayers recited for spiritual guidance, safety and ceremonySpiritual

🇪🇸 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

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

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

🇪🇸 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, PhilippinesPasyon A Tagalog epic of Christ's passion, chanted without a break during Holy WeekSpiritual 🇱🇹 LithuaniaVėlinės A Lithuanian remembrance day honouring deceased souls with cemetery prayers and candlesSpiritual

🇮🇪 Galway, Ireland and 1 moreBrigid's crossCros Bhríde A cross of woven rushes or straw, made for Saint Brigid's Day on the first of FebruaryCraft 🇳🇬 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

🇹🇻 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

🇲🇦 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

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

🇺🇸 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

🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 morePontifical Swiss GuardPontificia Cohors Helvetica The Swiss military corps charged with guarding the Pope and the Apostolic PalaceCeremony

🇵🇭 Marinduque, PhilippinesMoriones Festival A Holy Week reenactment in Marinduque where masked participants search for the Roman centurion Longinus.Festival

🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico and 2 moreOur Lady of GuadalupeNuestra Señora de Guadalupe A Mexican devotion to Mary, with a feast on 12 December and an image kept on a cloakSpiritual

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
Marae: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Christmas: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Public domain, source
Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
Holy Week: Anonymous ( Maasland ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
Pasyon: Judgefloro, CC0, source
Holy Fire: William Holman Hunt, Public domain, source
Conclave: User Maus-Trauden on de.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Christmas carol: Prathyush Thomas, GFDL 1.2, source
Music of Tuvalu: Avenue, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ngillatun: Francisco Cavallo, Public domain, source
Camino de Santiago: stephenD, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pontifical Swiss Guard: The White House, 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
Valiha: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Papel picado: Ferfive, CC BY 4.0, source
Mmanwu: Northcote Whitridge Thomas, Public domain, source
Abakuá: M. Puente, Public domain, source
Fantasy coffins: Regula Tschumi, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, 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
Botafumeiro: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez ( Lmbuga Commons )( Lmbuga Galipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Day of the Vow: South African Railways and Harbours public relations department, Public domain, source
Name day: Sendker, Public domain, 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
Stations of the Cross: Tango7174, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Rio Carnival: Sergio Luiz, CC BY 2.0, source
Moriones Festival: EMMAN A. FORONDA, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Our Lady of Guadalupe: Sebastian Wallroth, CC BY 3.0, source
Feast of the Ascension: Gebhard Fugel, Public domain, source
Christmas Eve: Carl Larsson, Public domain, source
Peʻa: Thomas Andrew (1855-1939), Public domain, source
Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Feast of Corpus Christi: Fennec ., Public domain, source
Candlemas: Andrea Mantegna, Public domain, source
Valentine's Day: Upload: Chordboard, Public domain, source
Good Friday: Bellina 09, CC BY-SA 4.0, source