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.

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

🇲🇽 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 🇳🇬 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

🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreTamalada A gathering where tamales are the main dish or a communal tamale-making party in Mexican and Hispanic cultures.Festival · Lunch

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

🇺🇸 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

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

🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreImbolcLá Fhéile Bríde A Gaelic festival heralding spring and honoring Saint Brigid with woven rush crossesSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreFat Thursday A Thursday before Lent when doughnuts, grilled meat and Carnival take overFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇪 Ireland and 6 moreSaint Stephen's Day A Christian feast day celebrating the first martyr with feasts, rides and folk customs.Spiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇷🇸 SerbiaSlavaСлава An annual Serbian family feast honouring their patron saint with blessed bread and wineSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 4 moreMay Day A traditional European festival welcoming summer with greenery, dances and bonfiresSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreTwelfth Night The closing evening of the Christmas season, kept with cake, carols and wassailSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesThanksgiving An annual American holiday of gratitude, family gatherings and an autumn harvest feastFestival · Dinner

🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom and 5 moreChristmas cracker A decorative paper tube pulled apart with a bang during Christmas dinnerFestival · Dinner

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 5 moreFastelavn A pre-Lenten carnival in Northern Europe where children dress up, sing for treats, and break candy-filled barrels.Festival · Sweets given and shared

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 4 moreRisalamande A chilled Danish Christmas rice dessert with cream, chopped almonds and cherry sauceTable custom · Sweets given and shared

🇲🇽 Mexico and 8 moreLas Posadas A nine-night Christmas pageant remembering Mary and Joseph seeking shelterSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreEnkutatashእንቁጣጣሽ The Ethiopian New Year festival of song, yellow daisies and family feastsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇸 New York, United States and 1 moreFeast of San GennaroFesta di San Gennaro A patronal festival of parades, street food and prayer honouring Saint JanuariusFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇨🇦 CanadaThanksgivingAction de grâce An annual Canadian autumn holiday celebrating the harvest with family feastsFestival · Dinner

🇸🇪 SwedenJul A midwinter holiday of feast tables, doorstep gift givers, and candlelit morningsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇭 Cape Coast, GhanaFetu Afahye A harvest festival of cleansing, boat races and royal durbars in Cape Coast, GhanaFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreRéveillon A luxurious late-night feast that stretches until dawn across the winter holidaysTable custom · Dinner

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

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreHarvest festival A thanks for the gathered crop, kept with church meals, songs and shared foodSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreSaffron bun A golden, spiced yeast roll flavoured with saffron, baked for festive and holy daysTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 3 moreBanitsaБаница A layered Bulgarian cheese pastry baked for morning meals and holiday fortunesTable custom · Breakfast

🇭🇹 Port-au-Prince, HaitiHaitian CarnivalKanaval Haiti's annual street festival of music, satirical plays and costumed paradesFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇩🇪 Cologne, Germany and 2 moreGerman CarnivalKarneval Pre-Lenten street parades, costume balls and local revels across German-speaking lands.Festival · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 3 moreMalankaМаланка A Ukrainian folk celebration of masked mummers, feasting and New Year blessingsFestival · Feasts and festival meals

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

🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSeville FairFeria de Abril de Sevilla A week-long spring festival in Seville of carriage parades, marquee tents and dancingFestival · Dinner

🇪🇸 Jijona, Spain and 5 moreTurrón A festive Mediterranean nut-and-honey confection shared at Christmas and local feastsTable custom · Sweets given and shared 🇮🇪 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

🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreBuheቡሄ An Orthodox feast day celebrated with neighborhood torches, songs, and gifts of breadSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇵🇱 PolandEaster in Poland A spring holiday of family breakfasts, blessed baskets, decorated eggs, and water games.Festival · Breakfast 🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreFasikaፋሲካ The celebration of Easter and the end of Lent across Ethiopia and EritreaSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

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

🇦🇲 Armenia and 1 moreTrndezտրնդեզ An Armenian fire feast forty days after Christmas, kept with bonfires and shared sweetsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

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

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico and 1 moreParranda A Puerto Rican Christmas custom of night-time visits with songs, food and drinkPerformance · Supper

🇪🇨 Quito, EcuadorFanesca Ecuador's Holy Week soup of grains, beans and salt cod, made for Good FridayTable custom · Lunch

🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreVasilopitaΒασιλόπιτα A New Year bread or cake with a coin baked inside, shared out slice by sliceTable custom · Sweets given and shared

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

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreChristmas dinner The festive family meal of Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, with roast meats and puddingsTable custom · Dinner

🇱🇧 Beirut, Lebanon and 7 moreEid il-Burbaraعيد البربارة A winter feast of costumes, sweet boiled wheat, and sprouting seeds across the LevantFestival · Feasts and festival meals

Photo credits on this page

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

Harvest festival: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
Slava: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
May Day: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
Fastelavn: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Jul: Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Risalamande: Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Thanksgiving: Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, Public domain, source
Christmas cracker: en:User:Cgros841, Public domain, source
Las Posadas: Yavidaxiu, CC BY 3.0, source
Enkutatash: Nati Tad, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fetu Afahye: Kofiarkohbaidoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Thanksgiving: Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Saffron bun: Nenniu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Banitsa: Sheku80, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Haitian Carnival: User:Doron, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
German Carnival: Neva Micheva, CC BY 2.5, source
Malanka: Viktoriyasechkar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Magiritsa: Andrew Dalby, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Barn raising: Alexander W. Galbraith, Public domain, source
Seville Fair: Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Fat Thursday: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Turrón: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
Christmas in Russia: Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Buhe: Woyne, 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
Twelfth Night: Hablot Knight Browne: scanned by Steven J Plunkett, Public domain, source
Saint Patrick's Day in the United States: White House/Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
Trndez: Armineaghayan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Marchas Populares: Taisir85, CC BY 4.0, source
Wigilia: Przykuta, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Parranda: Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fanesca: Agencia de Noticias ANDES, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Vasilopita: Μυρμηγκάκι, Public domain, source
Easter: Piero della Francesca, Public domain, source
Christmas dinner: Austin McGee, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Feast of San Gennaro: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Christmas Eve: Carl Larsson, Public domain, source
Tamalada: Tania Solá (WMMX), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint Stephen's Day: Carlo Crivelli, Public domain, source
Eid il-Burbara: Durziil89, CC0, source
Carnival: Etienne Le Cocq, CC BY-SA 3.0, source