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.

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

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 6 moreAsh WednesdayDies Cinerum A solemn Christian holy day of prayer, fasting, and the placing of ashesSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇷🇴 Romania and 1 moreColindă A Romanian and Moldovan Christmas carol tradition where village groups sing Nativity songs door to door.Festival

🇵🇹 Porto, PortugalFesta de São João do Porto Porto's midsummer festival of street feasts, fireworks and playful hammer tapsFestival 🇮🇪 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

🇵🇱 PolandEaster in Poland A spring holiday of family breakfasts, blessed baskets, decorated eggs, and water games.Festival · Breakfast

🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreSerbian ChristmasБожић A three-day midwinter observance focused on oak logs, floor straw and family gatheringsSpiritual · Dinner

🇧🇪 Mons, BelgiumDucasse de Mons An eight-day festival in Mons featuring a golden carriage and a dragon combatFestival 🇮🇹 Florence, ItalyScoppio del Carro An Easter Sunday fireworks display ignited by a flying dove in FlorenceFestival 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreCarol service A Christmas church service of seasonal hymns, scripture readings and candlelightSpiritual

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 5 moreAll Souls' Day A Christian observance on 2 November for prayer and remembrance of those who have died.Spiritual

🇭🇺 Hungary and 1 morePentecostπεντηκοστή (pentēkostē) The Christian feast of the Holy Spirit, kept fifty days after EasterSpiritual 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCompadre A ritual kinship made at a child's baptism, binding parents and godparents for lifeSpiritual

🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreKoulourakiaΚουλουράκια Sweet butter pastries baked for Greek Easter and shaped into rings and braidsTable custom · Sweets given and shared

🇵🇱 PolandWigilia Poland's meatless Christmas Eve supper, begun when the first star appearsTable custom · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyFesta del RedentoreFesta del Redentor Venice's July festival of fireworks over the water, kept in thanks for the plague's endFestival

🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreLas arras Thirteen gold coins, blessed at a wedding and given by the groom to the brideRite of passage

🇮🇹 Naples, Italy and 5 moreNativity scene A seasonal set of figures showing Jesus's birth, put up by Christians at ChristmasFestival

🇷🇺 RussiaRussian wedding traditions A Russian wedding runs two days to a week, with ransom games, crowns and toastsRite of passage

🇧🇪 Antwerp, Belgium and 2 moreOmmegangommegang (Dutch) Medieval town processions of the Low Countries, with giants, guilds and horsesCeremony

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 2 moreAssumption of Mary A feast on 15 August, when Christians remember Mary taken up into heavenSpiritual

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomRoyal Maundy A Church of England service where the monarch gives silver Maundy coins to older peopleSpiritual

🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreEpiphany A January feast of the Magi, the Jordan baptism and the Cana miracle, kept by ChristiansSpiritual

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreEasterΠάσχα The day Christians mark the resurrection, kept with vigils, feasts and eggsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreEvil eye A belief in harm cast by envious glares, met with protective charms and spoken blessingsFolklore

🇫🇷 FranceConfirmation A Christian rite of laying on of hands that completes baptism and strengthens faithRite of passage

🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreSaint Patrick's DayLá Fhéile Pádraig An annual Irish holiday of parades, church services, green dress and shamrocksFestival

🇫🇷 Lyon, FranceFestival of LightsFête des lumières A four-day festival in Lyon marking December 8 with illuminated windows and light artFestival

🇧🇪 Bruges, BelgiumProcession of the Holy BloodHeilig Bloedprocessie An annual sacred parade and historical pageant through the streets of Bruges, Belgium.Spiritual

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

🇷🇺 Moscow, Russia and 5 morePalm Sunday A Christian Sunday feast marking Jesus's entry into Jerusalem with blessed branches.Spiritual

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreZaduszkiZaduszki, Dzień Zaduszny A Polish day of prayer for the dead on 2 November, kept with candles at the gravesSpiritual

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreŚwięconka The Polish Holy Saturday blessing of baskets filled with Easter morning foodSpiritual

🇬🇧 United KingdomLammashlāfmæsse A harvest festival marking the blessing of the first baked bread from the new wheat cropSeasonal

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

🇷🇺 Moscow, Russia and 5 moreDormition of the Mother of God A major feast in Eastern Christianity marking the death and heavenly ascent of Mary.Spiritual

🇬🇧 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

🇮🇹 Italy and 2 morePresentation of Mary A Christian feast on November 21 marking a child's dedication to God in Jerusalem.Spiritual

🇬🇧 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

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreIntercession of the TheotokosПокровъ An Eastern Christian autumn feast honoring the protective veil of the Virgin MarySpiritual

🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBeheading of John the Baptist A Christian holy day of strict fasting that marks the death of John the BaptistSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇮🇪 IrelandSolemnitySolemnitas The highest rank of celebration in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendarSpiritual

🇷🇺 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

🇮🇹 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

Photo credits on this page

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

Magiritsa: Andrew Dalby, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Reformation Day: 95Thesen.jpg : User:Shizhao derivative work: 6birc ( talk ), Public domain, source
Ash Wednesday: Oxh973, Public domain, source
Colindă: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
Festa de São João do Porto: Hugo Cadavez, CC BY 2.0, source
Christmas in Russia: Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Easter in Poland: Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Serbian Christmas: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ducasse de Mons: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
All Souls' Day: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Public domain, source
Pentecost: See The Holy Land, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Koulourakia: foodistablog, CC BY 2.0, source
Wigilia: Przykuta, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Festa del Redentore: Photographer: Riccardo Speziari, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Las arras: penny, CC BY 2.0, source
Nativity scene: Yvonne Bentele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ommegang: Zorro2212, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Royal Maundy: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Assumption of Mary: Jebulon, CC0, source
Epiphany: Gentile da Fabriano, Public domain, source
Easter: Piero della Francesca, Public domain, source
Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Saint George's Day: Raphael, Public domain, source
Dormition of the Mother of God: El Greco, Public domain, source
Beheading of John the Baptist: Caravaggio, Public domain, source
Radonitsa: Perohanych, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nativity of John the Baptist: Brakeet, CC0, source
Confirmation: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
Visitation: Giotto, Public domain, source
Presentation of Mary: Zograf Gregorij, Public domain, source
Intercession of the Theotokos: SNCH, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint Patrick's Day: rannṗáirtí anaiṫnid ( coṁrá ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Festival of Lights: Corentin Eustacchi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Procession of the Holy Blood: Cbl62, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mothering Sunday: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Palm Sunday: Pietro Lorenzetti, Public domain, source
Zaduszki: Ivan Mrkvička, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Święconka: Błażej Benisz, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Lammas: Paddy, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Carnival: Etienne Le Cocq, CC BY-SA 3.0, source