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.

🇩🇪 Weingarten, Germany and 1 moreBlutritt An equestrian pilgrimage across southern Germany honoring a relic of the Holy BloodSpiritual

🇮🇱 IsraelProfession of Faith A public declaration of religious belief across Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditionsSpiritual

🇮🇹 Benevento, ItalyWitches of Benevento A southern Italian tradition of walnut-tree gatherings and protective folk charmsFolklore

🇷🇺 Russia and 3 moreGeorge's Day in AutumnЕгорий Осенний (Yegoriy Osenniy), Юрьев день (Yuriev den); Serbian: Ђурђиц (Đurđic) The autumn feast of Saint George, kept at harvest's end in Slavic landsFestival

🇸🇬 Singapore and 2 moreAldersgate Day A Methodist observance on 24 May marking the spiritual turning point of John Wesley.Festival

🇮🇹 Palermo, ItalyFeast of Saint RosaliaFestino di Santa Rosalia An annual July festival in Palermo honouring the patron saint who ended the plague.Festival

🇬🇧 United KingdomChurch parade A formal military procession held to attend a religious serviceCeremony 🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 2 moreInsufflation A ritual of blowing and breathing, used at baptism to drive out evil and breathe in graceSpiritual

🇮🇸 Skálholt, IcelandThorlak's MassÞorláksmessa Iceland's feast of its patron saint on 23 December, the last day before ChristmasSpiritual 🇬🇪 GeorgiaTheodore's Saturday The first Saturday of Lent, kept with boiled wheat and visits to the gravesSpiritual · Sweets given and shared 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreQuaker wedding A silent marriage ceremony in a Quaker meeting, with no priest and no set orderRite of passage

🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelSong of Ascentsשיר המעלות Fifteen Hebrew psalms sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem and by monks at prayerSpiritual 🇨🇱 ChileFiesta de La Tirana A week-long pilgrimage and dance festival in northern Chile honoring the Virgin of Mount Carmel.Festival 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreKingdomtide An autumn liturgical season focusing on Christ's reign in heaven and on earthSpiritual 🇬🇧 United KingdomJack o' Lent An English Lenten custom of abusing and burning a straw figureSeasonal

🇮🇹 Gubbio, Italy and 1 moreSaint Ubaldo DayFesta dei Ceri A May procession in Gubbio where three teams carry tall wooden ceri to a hilltop basilicaSpiritual

🇪🇸 Córdoba, Spain and 5 moreFiesta de las Cruces A May festival where communities decorate crosses with flowers and crafts to celebrate faith and local heritage.Festival

🇮🇹 Turin, Italy and 5 moreMary Help of ChristiansSancta Maria Auxilium Christianorum A Christian feast and devotion honouring Mary as a protector, observed on 24 MaySpiritual

🇹🇳 La Goulette, TunisiaOur Lady of Trapani procession (Tunis) A Catholic festival in La Goulette honoring the Virgin Mary, once shared by Christians and Muslims.Festival

🇺🇸 United StatesUnity candle A modern wedding ritual where two flames join to ignite a single central candleRite of passage

🇺🇸 United StatesPre-Cana Meetings and courses Catholic couples take before a wedding, often called Pre-CanaRite of passage

🇫🇷 France and 5 moreRespite SanctuarySanctuaire à répit A historical Catholic custom of seeking brief revival to baptise stillborn infantsSpiritual

🇬🇧 United KingdomHarvest Festival An autumn thanksgiving for the crops, kept in churches and schools across the UKSeasonal · Supper 🇵🇸 Jerusalem, Palestine and 1 moreThursday of the Deadخميس الأموات A spring day of cemetery visits, prayer, and shared yellow breads across the LevantSpiritual · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaAgeraआगेरा Mumbai's East Indian Catholics give thanks for the harvest on the first Sunday of OctoberFestival 🇸🇾 Syria and 1 moreThree Sundays of Commemoration A Maronite Christian observance held on the three Sundays before Lent to remember the departed.Spiritual · Dinner

🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreFeast of Saint Thomas Aquinas An annual Christian feast day honouring the medieval theologian Saint Thomas AquinasSpiritual 🇸🇰 SlovakiaJasličkári A Slovak Christmas custom of young men acting out the Nativity from house to houseFestival

🇬🇧 United KingdomRacial Justice Sunday A day of prayer and action for racial justice observed by British Christian churches in February.Spiritual

🇨🇱 Tarapacá, ChileFestival of San Lorenzo An annual festival of religious dance and pilgrimage honoring Saint Lawrence in TarapacáSpiritual

🇵🇸 al-Khader, PalestineFeast of Saint George An annual gathering of Palestinian Christians and Muslims honouring Saint GeorgeSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇦🇲 Armenia and 4 moreBlessing of the Throats A Christian prayer rite touching throats with crossed candles for protection from illnessSpiritual

🇮🇹 Avezzano, ItalyFeast of the Madonna di PietraquariaMadonna di Pietraquaria A three-day spring festival in Avezzano marked by neighborhood bonfires, a street fair, and a mountain-to-city processioFestival

🇷🇸 Serbia and 2 moreZapisзапис A consecrated village tree marked with a cross, venerated in Serbian folk traditionSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇷🇸 SerbiaVertepвертеп A Serbian Orthodox Christmas Eve custom, named for the cave of the NativitySpiritual

🇮🇪 Ireland and 2 moreEmber daysQuatuor Tempora A quarterly Western Christian rhythm of fasting, prayer and seasonal thanksgivingSeasonal · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇭🇷 CroatiaBadnjakBadnji dan A Christmas Eve oak log burned in the hearth across Croatia to welcome the holiday.Festival · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇱🇹 LithuaniaLithuanian cross craftingLietuvos kryždirbystė A Lithuanian folk art of carving wooden crosses that blend Christian faith with ancient Baltic symbols.Craft

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

🇱🇺 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and 3 moreOktavMuttergottesoktav A two-week annual Marian pilgrimage and festival in Luxembourg CitySpiritual · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇧🇪 BelgiumMarches of Entre-Sambre-et-MeuseMarches de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse Folk processions with armed escorts in Belgian villages, kept from May to OctoberSpiritual · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreFilsetaፍልሰታ A fifteen-day fast and feast honouring the Dormition and Assumption of MarySpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇨🇻 Cape Verde and 1 moreKola San Jon A Cabo Verdean street festival of dance, drumming, and devotion to Saint JohnFestival 🇵🇬 Port Moresby, Papua New GuineaRepentance Day An annual public holiday of prayer and national reflection across Papua New GuineaSpiritual

🇵🇹 PortugalMissas do Parto Nine morning Masses in Madeira that follow Mary through the last days of her pregnancySpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇬🇷 GreeceKalanta ChristougenonΚάλαντα Χριστουγέννων A Greek Christmas carol, sung around the feast with triangle and guitarPerformance

Photo credits on this page

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

Our Lady of Trapani procession (Tunis): IssamBarhoumi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mary Help of Christians: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fiesta de las Cruces: Michelangelo-36, Public domain, source
Saint Ubaldo Day: Marco Riccardini, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Song of Ascents: No machine-readable author provided. Amoruso~commonswiki assumed (base, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Assumption of Mary: Jebulon, CC0, source
Thorlak's Mass: Orf3us, Public domain, source
Kola San Jon: Dvfernandes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Missas do Parto: Porto Bay Events, CC BY 2.0, source
Blutritt: Joseph Bayer, Public domain, source
Profession of Faith: Westminster Assembly, Public domain, source
Witches of Benevento: Guglielmo della Porta, CC0, source
George's Day in Autumn: Sergey Ivanov, Public domain, source
Aldersgate Day: Man vyi, Public domain, source
Feast of Saint Rosalia: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Church parade: Boris Kustodiev, Public domain, source
Festival of San Lorenzo: Freddy Alexander Bugueño Tolmo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Feast of Saint George: Onceinawhile, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Zapis: Zblagojevic, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Badnjak: Vidonjac, CC BY 2.0, source
Đurđevdan: Anonymous Russian icon painter (before 1917) Public domain image (acco, Public domain, source
Marches of Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse: Hoebele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Unity candle: Dvillasmil, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Respite Sanctuary: Atelier Roussel à Beauvais 1878, Public domain, source
Harvest Festival: Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Agera: Tiven Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Racial Justice Sunday: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Feast of the Madonna di Pietraquaria: Marica Massaro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lithuanian cross crafting: Vilensija, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Oktav: Daderot, CC0, source
Ember days: Richard Symonds, CC BY 3.0, source