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.

🇸🇮 Ptuj, Slovenia and 1 moreKurentovanje A rite of spring and carnival in Ptuj with masked bell-ringers chasing winter awayFestival

🇬🇧 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

🇨🇱 Santiago, ChileFiestas Patrias Chile's homeland festivities celebrating national identity with music, dance, and foodCeremony

🇵🇭 Iloilo City, PhilippinesDinagyang FestivalDinágyang An annual festival of drumming, street dance and devotion to the Santo Niño in Iloilo.Festival

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

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

🇨🇴 Valledupar, ColombiaVallenato Legend FestivalFestival de la Leyenda Vallenata An annual gathering in Valledupar celebrating Colombian vallenato music and verseFestival 🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 3 moreLittle ChristmasNollaig na mBan A January feast day marking the close of the twelve days of ChristmasSeasonal · Dinner

🇪🇸 SpainOlentzero A Basque Christmas tradition of a charcoal burner bringing presents in midwinterFestival

🇷🇺 Moscow, RussiaChristmas in RussiaРождество Христово An Orthodox winter feast marked by church vigils, fasting suppers and festive mealsSpiritual · Supper

🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain and 4 moreCaganerEl Caganer A defecating figurine placed in Catalan nativity scenes to bring good luck and fertilize the earth.Festival

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

🇷🇺 RussiaSarafanсарафа́н A long, flared Russian dress, the everyday wear of peasant women for centuriesDress

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreColumbus Day An annual autumn holiday marking the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the AmericasCeremony

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

🇵🇭 Manila, PhilippinesHoly Week in the PhilippinesMahal na Araw An eight-day observance of the Passion, death, and resurrection of Christ in the Philippines.Spiritual

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo, Dominican RepublicDominican Carnival A February street festival of masks, music and parades across the Dominican Republic.Festival 🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreFasikaፋሲካ The celebration of Easter and the end of Lent across Ethiopia and EritreaSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇧🇪 Binche, BelgiumGillesGille Costumed carnival figures of Binche and surrounding Belgian townsFestival

🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreSerbian ChristmasБожић A three-day midwinter observance focused on oak logs, floor straw and family gatheringsSpiritual · Dinner 🇫🇯 FijiFiji Week A week of national celebration in Fiji marking independence and colonial history with cultural performances.Festival

🇨🇦 Canada and 2 moreMummering A festive midwinter custom of disguised visits, music and playful guessing gamesFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineVertepвертеп A two-tiered Ukrainian puppet theatre that mixes the nativity story with satirical comedy and folk music.Performance

🇧🇪 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

🇵🇭 Philippines and 6 moreMaundy ThursdayDies Cenae Domini A Christian feast marking the start of Easter observances with foot washing and communion services.Spiritual

🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Mexico and 1 moreGuelaguetza An annual Oaxacan festival of indigenous dance, music, costumes and communal sharingFestival 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreCarol service A Christmas church service of seasonal hymns, scripture readings and candlelightSpiritual

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomRemembrance Sunday A day of solemn remembrance for military and civilian service members in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.Ceremony

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

🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreGreat LentΜεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή The forty-day fast before Easter, kept by Eastern Christians as a season of prayerSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇭🇺 Hungary and 1 morePentecostπεντηκοστή (pentēkostē) The Christian feast of the Holy Spirit, kept fifty days after EasterSpiritual

🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India Weddings across India, each shaped by faith, region and familyRite of passage 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCompadre A ritual kinship made at a child's baptism, binding parents and godparents for lifeSpiritual

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

🇬🇷 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

🇮🇳 Mumbai, India and 1 moreDhoti A long unstitched cloth men wrap like trousers, for worship and formal daysDress

🇮🇹 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

🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreKrampus Saint Nicholas's horned companion, who comes for misbehaving children on 5 DecemberFolklore

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

🇬🇧 Lewes, United KingdomLewes Bonfire A Sussex town marks 5 November with torchlit processions, burning crosses and bonfiresFestival

🇬🇧 United KingdomPlough Monday England's old start of the farming year, kept with ploughs, straw bears and sword dancesSeasonal

🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreWedding cord A loop of white cord laid over a kneeling bride and groom in Catholic weddingsRite of passage

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

Photo credits on this page

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

Kurentovanje: Aleš Kravos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ash Wednesday: Oxh973, Public domain, source
Colindă: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
Fiestas Patrias: Osmar Valdebenito, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Dinagyang Festival: Bernardo 'Berniemack' Arellano III, CC BY 3.0, source
Turrón: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
Festa de São João do Porto: Hugo Cadavez, CC BY 2.0, source
Vallenato Legend Festival: Jdvillalobos, CC BY 3.0, source
Olentzero: Josu Goñi Etxabe, Public domain, source
Christmas in Russia: Gzen92, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Caganer: Roeland P., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Buhe: Woyne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Sarafan: Hanna Zelenko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Columbus Day: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Easter in Poland: Silar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Holy Week in the Philippines: LMP 2001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Dominican Carnival: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, source
Gilles: Marie-Claire, CC BY 3.0, source
Serbian Christmas: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mummering: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jerry_curtis/, CC0, source
Vertep: Микола Василечко, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ducasse de Mons: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Maundy Thursday: Benedetto Caliari, Public domain, source
Guelaguetza: A01321718, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Remembrance Sunday: Philip Stevens, Public domain, source
All Souls' Day: William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Public domain, source
Great Lent: Stalinsunnykvj, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pentecost: See The Holy Land, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Weddings in India: Psoni2402, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Trndez: Armineaghayan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Koulourakia: foodistablog, CC BY 2.0, source
Wigilia: Przykuta, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Dhoti: Redaloes at English Wikipedia, Public domain, 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
Krampus: Naturpuur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lewes Bonfire: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Wedding cord: Phil! Gold, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Plough Monday: Rawpixel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Parranda: Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0, source