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.

🇨🇳 China and 5 moreAncestor worship Honouring dead relatives with offerings and prayers, kept in many cultures worldwideSpiritual

🇪🇬 Cairo, Egypt and 1 moreNayrouzالنيروز (Arabic); ⲡⲓⲭⲗⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ (Coptic) A Coptic feast marking the new year and honoring martyrs, kept in Egypt and Ethiopia.Festival

🇲🇽 Papantla, Mexico and 1 moreDanza de los Voladores A Mesoamerican rite of dance and rope, flown from a tall pole to ask for rainSpiritual

🇬🇹 Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala and 3 moreMaximón A folk saint of the Guatemalan highlands, asked for health, crops and protectionFolklore

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

🇵🇭 San Fernando, Philippines and 3 moreParolparól A Filipino star lantern of bamboo and paper, hung at Christmas from September to JanuaryFestival

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

🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoOfrenda A home altar of food, flowers and candles that welcomes the dead home at Día de MuertosSpiritual

🇦🇹 Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria and 2 moreSilent NightStille Nacht, heilige Nacht A Christmas carol composed in Austria in 1818, now sung worldwide as a symbol of peace.Performance

🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreSwabian-Alemannic FastnachtFastnacht A late-winter carnival of masks and jesters kept before Lent in the Alemannic landsFestival

🇮🇹 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

🇬🇷 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

🇺🇸 United StatesPotluck A shared meal where every guest brings a dish, kept by churches, clubs and neighborsTable custom · Dinner

🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian wedding A wedding spread over many days, with matchmaking, bread, wreaths and songRite of passage

🇬🇧 Llangollen, United Kingdom and 5 moreEisteddfod A Welsh festival of poetry and music competitions, featuring the chairing and crowning of winning bards.Festival

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

🇧🇾 BelarusBatlejkaБатле́йка A two-level puppet booth from Belarus, playing Nativity and folk scenes at ChristmasPerformance

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreWinter solstice The shortest day and longest night of the year, marked with fire, feasting and poetrySeasonal

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

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

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

🇦🇷 Mendoza, ArgentinaFiesta Nacional de la Vendimia Argentina's national grape harvest festival, celebrated each year in MendozaSeasonal

🇱🇧 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

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

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreMoors and ChristiansMoros y Cristianos Theatrical parades and mock battles staging historic clashes across Spain and beyondFestival 🇳🇴 NorwayJul An eight-week Norwegian midwinter season of feasts, family gatherings, and gift-givingSeasonal · Lunch

🇫🇷 Nice, FranceNice CarnivalCarnaval de Nice A two-week winter festival of papier-mâché floats and flower battles in Nice, FranceFestival

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

🇱🇺 Echternach, LuxembourgDancing procession of EchternachIechternacher Sprangprëssioun A Roman Catholic hopping pilgrimage honouring Saint Willibrord in eastern LuxembourgSpiritual

🇱🇺 Nospelt, LuxembourgEmaischen An Easter Monday market in Luxembourg known for small bird-shaped clay whistlesFestival

🇲🇹 Valletta, MaltaMaltese Carnivalil-Karnival ta' Malta A lively week of costumed parades, dancing, satirical floats and sweets across Malta.Festival · Sweets given and shared

🇲🇹 Nadur, MaltaNadur Carnival An unscripted five-day costume festival filling the streets of Nadur before LentFestival

🇺🇸 New York, United States and 1 moreEaster parade A festive Easter Sunday stroll featuring stylish clothes and elaborate bonnetsFestival

🇨🇦 Quebec City, CanadaQuebec Winter CarnivalCarnaval de Québec A midwinter celebration of snow, outdoor sports and caribou in Quebec City.Festival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇸🇪 Sweden and 3 moreGlögg A spiced, warm winter wine served across Nordic countries around ChristmasTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇩🇰 DenmarkJul Winter feasts, carols around the tree, and family gatherings across DenmarkFestival · Lunch

🇳🇴 Norway and 2 moreJulebord A Scandinavian Christmas banquet of traditional dishes, festive drinks and celebrationTable custom · Feasts and festival meals

🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandLajkonikLajkoniki An annual hobby-horse pageant through the streets of Kraków each JuneFestival

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

🇮🇹 Florence, ItalyCalcio storico fiorentino A fierce Renaissance ball game played on sand between four Florentine districtsGame

🇪🇸 Valencia, SpainFallasFalles de València Valencia's five-day March fiesta of giant paper figures and bonfiresFestival

🇨🇴 Medellín, ColombiaFestival of the FlowersFeria de las Flores An annual week-long celebration of floral craft and regional culture in MedellínFestival

🇱🇹 Vilnius, Lithuania and 3 moreSaint Casimir's FairKaziuko mugė A spring craft market and folk celebration across the historic streets of VilniusCraft

🇪🇹 Lalibela, Ethiopia and 1 moreTimkatጥምቀት The Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Epiphany celebrating the baptism of JesusSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇪🇹 Lalibela, Ethiopia and 1 moreEthiopian Christmasገና The Christian Nativity feast, marked by night vigils, white garments and field hockeySpiritual

🇧🇪 Binche, BelgiumCarnival of BincheCarnaval de Binche A Belgian pre-Lenten festival known for masked dancers and orange tossingFestival

Photo credits on this page

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

Gilles: Marie-Claire, CC BY 3.0, source
Ancestor worship: Lyn Gateley, CC BY 2.0, source
Nayrouz: Rafael Tuck & Sons, Ltd., CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Danza de los Voladores: A01333649, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Maximón: Sapfan (Jan Pesula), Public domain, source
Fanesca: Agencia de Noticias ANDES, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Parol: Ervin Malicdem, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ommegang: Zorro2212, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ofrenda: Eneas de Troya, CC BY 2.0, source
Silent Night: Franz Xaver Gruber (1787–1863), Public domain, source
Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht: Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
Royal Maundy: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Assumption of Mary: Jebulon, CC0, source
Epiphany: Gentile da Fabriano, Public domain, source
Vasilopita: Μυρμηγκάκι, Public domain, source
Potluck: Mack Male, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Eisteddfod: Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Easter: Piero della Francesca, Public domain, source
Batlejka: user:Хомелка, CC BY 3.0, source
Winter solstice: Image by Przemyslaw " Blueshade " Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Christmas dinner: Austin McGee, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Whit Tuesday: David Edgar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Confirmation: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia: Javinaselli, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Eid il-Burbara: Durziil89, CC0, source
Saint Patrick's Day: rannṗáirtí anaiṫnid ( coṁrá ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Moors and Christians: No machine-readable author provided. Jarke assumed (based on copyright, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nice Carnival: Honeydew, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Festival of Lights: Corentin Eustacchi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Emaischen: Christian Ries, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Maltese Carnival: Ronny Siegel, CC BY 3.0, source
Nadur Carnival: Thyes, Public domain, source
Easter parade: Meister der Palastkapelle in Palermo, Public domain, source
Quebec Winter Carnival: Shapiros10, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Glögg: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Jul: Erik Christensen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Julebord: Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lajkonik: Igor123121, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Procession of the Holy Blood: Cbl62, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Calcio storico fiorentino: Stradanus / After Giorgio Vasari, Public domain, source
Fallas: Goodnighmoon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Festival of the Flowers: SajoR, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Saint Casimir's Fair: Sirex at Lithuanian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Timkat: Jean Rebiffé, CC BY 4.0, source
Ethiopian Christmas: Tanjagari, CC BY-SA 4.0, source