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.

🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreMarriage proposal A ritual where one partner asks another to marry them, marking the start of engagement.Rite of passage

🇮🇹 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 3 moreOld New YearСтарый Новый год (Russian), Стара Нова година (Macedonian), Српска Нова година (Serbian), Hen Galan (Welsh) An informal holiday marking the start of the Julian calendar year, celebrated on 14 January in the Gregorian calendar.Festival · Dinner 🇪🇬 Alexandria, Egypt and 5 moreCenobitic monasticism A communal way of monastic life where monks live, pray, and follow a shared ruleSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreVigil A purposeful watch of prayer, mourning, or reflection kept through the nightSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇷🇺 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

🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreFirst Communion A Christian rite of passage marking a person's initial reception of the Eucharist.Rite of passage

🇷🇺 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

🇦🇲 ArmeniaHoly TuesdayMegali Triti A day of church services in Holy Week that remembers biblical parables about vigilance and readiness.Festival

🇱🇹 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

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreMarian feast days Holy days across the liturgical year celebrating the life and veneration of Mary.Spiritual

🇰🇷 South Korea and 4 moreParents' Day어버이날 (Eobeoinal) Days set aside in several countries to thank mothers and fathersFestival

🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreGrandparents' Day A single-day holiday kept on different dates in many countries to honour grandparentsFestival

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreTwelve Days of Christmas A festive Christian liturgical season linking Christmas Day to the eve of EpiphanySeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇩🇰 Denmark and 1 moreQuinquagesima The last Sunday before Lent in Western Christianity, marking the start of Carnival and Shrovetide.Festival · Feasts and festival meals

🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreDay of the Holy InnocentsDía de los Santos Inocentes A 28 December day of pranks and fake news, kept in the Spanish-speaking worldFestival

🇵🇱 Kraków, Poland and 5 moreDozhinkiDożynki A Slavic harvest festival of the last sheaf, a woven wreath and a shared mealSeasonal

🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreEpiclesisἐπίκλησις The liturgical calling upon the Holy Spirit to bless the bread and wine during communionSpiritual

🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreAnastenariaΑναστενάρια A barefoot firewalking and dance rite honouring Saint Constantine and Saint HelenSpiritual 🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreAdelphopoiesisἀδελφοποίησις A historical Christian church ceremony creating a spiritual bond of brotherhoodSpiritual

🇷🇺 RussiaAsperges The Christian liturgical ceremony of sprinkling the faithful with blessed waterSpiritual

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCavalcade of Magi A parade of the Three Magi through town on Epiphany Eve, with sweets thrown to the crowdFestival

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreTranslation of relicsTranslatio The ceremonial transfer of holy remains or relics to a new church or shrineSpiritual

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreRogation days Springtime Christian days of prayer, fasting, and parish boundary walks.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreYouth Day A commemorative holiday honoring young people and youth movements worldwideCeremony

🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreKoledariколядники A Slavic winter caroling custom of visiting homes with songs, masks and blessingsFestival

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 8 moreSaint Joseph's Day A 19 March feast honouring Jesus' earthly father, kept with altars and processionsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇪🇸 Toledo, SpainFeast of the Holy Name of Mary A Catholic feast day honouring the name and intercession of the Virgin MarySpiritual

🇫🇷 FranceMos Teutonicus A medieval European funerary custom of boiling bones to return nobles home for burialRite of passage

🇫🇷 FranceLa soule A rough medieval ball game from Normandy and Picardy played between parishes on religious holidays.Game

🇮🇹 Italy and 6 morePatronal festivalFiesta patronal A town's yearly feast for its patron saint, with processions, a fair and shared foodFestival

🇫🇷 France and 5 moreFeast of the Sacred HeartSollemnitas Sacratissimi Cordis Iesu A Catholic holy day honoring Christ's love and mercy, observed in early summerSpiritual 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreFeast of the Holy Name of Jesus A Christian observance honoring the name of Jesus, celebrated on various dates across different traditions.Spiritual

🇸🇪 SwedenElevationēlevātiō The ritual lifting of the bread and chalice during the Christian EucharistSpiritual 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreIncubationἐγκοίμησις The sacred practice of sleeping in holy shrines to seek divine healing and dreamsSpiritual

🇦🇲 Armenia and 5 moreFeast of the TransfigurationՊայծառակերպութիւն A Christian holy day marking the revelation of Christ's divine glory on Mount TaborSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals

🇺🇦 Ukraine and 10 moreEgg decorating Decorating eggs with dye, wax and carving, kept at Easter, Nowruz and springCraft 🇺🇸 United StatesRumspringaRumshpringa An adolescent period of courtship and social exploration in Amish communities.Rite of passage

🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreSaint Sylvester's Day A Christian feast day and year-end celebration marked across Europe and beyondSeasonal · Dinner

🇵🇱 Zakopane, PolandKulig A traditional Polish winter sleigh ride party celebrated during the Carnival seasonFestival · Feasts and festival meals

🇸🇾 Syria and 2 moreAd orientem The Christian practice of facing eastward during personal prayer and communal liturgySpiritual

🇨🇴 ColombiaLittle Candles DayDía de las velitas Candles and paper lanterns across Colombia on the night before the Immaculate ConceptionSpiritual

🇧🇬 Plovdiv, Bulgaria and 8 moreDay of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and CultureДен на българската просвета и култура и на славянската писменост Bulgaria's public holiday for its alphabet, schools and culture, kept each 24 MayFestival

🇧🇦 Bosnia and HerzegovinaDay of Republika SrpskaДан Републике Српске An annual civic holiday observed across Republika Srpska on 9 JanuaryCeremony

🇸🇾 Syria and 6 moreKha b'Nisanܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ A spring new year on 1 April, kept with parades, poems and dancing by AssyriansFestival

Photo credits on this page

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

Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Beheading of John the Baptist: Caravaggio, Public domain, source
Radonitsa: Perohanych, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Grandparents' Day: Wendy Berry, CC BY 2.0, source
Day of the Holy Innocents: Attributed to Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Public domain, source
Dozhinki: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Cavalcade of Magi: Diario de Madrid, CC BY 4.0, source
Little Candles Day: CarUno, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint Joseph's Day: Guido Reni, Public domain, source
Egg decorating: L.Kenzel, CC BY 3.0, source
Kha b'Nisan: Athrakado, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Marriage proposal: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Vigil: unknown master, Public domain, source
Old New Year: ceridwen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Nativity of John the Baptist: Brakeet, CC0, source
Twelve Days of Christmas: Giotto, Public domain, source
Quinquagesima: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Anastenaria: Artkostov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Asperges: Ian42, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rogation days: Ray Trevena, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Translation of relics: User:Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Feast of the Holy Name of Mary: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 3.0, source
Koledari: Mikhail Germashev, Public domain, source
La soule: Unknown author Unknown author illustrator (based on a sketch by M.J.L., Public domain, source
Feast of the Transfiguration: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
Elevation: Vojtěch Slovák, CC BY 3.0, source
Kulig: various, Public domain, source
Day of Republika Srpska: Ministry of Defence of Republic of Serbia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ad orientem: Joachim Specht, Public domain, source
Mos Teutonicus: Cryx thypex, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Saint Andrew's Day: Henryk Siemiradzki, Public domain, source
Parents' Day: 草花写真館, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Patronal festival: Ranieljosecastaneda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Youth Day: Andrey Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Presentation of Mary: Zograf Gregorij, Public domain, source
Intercession of the Theotokos: SNCH, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Holy Tuesday: Brothers Dalziel / John Everett Millais, CC0, source
Feast of the Sacred Heart: José de Páez, Public domain, source
Saint Sylvester's Day: Unknown medieval artist in Rome, Public domain, source
Epiclesis: Nheyob , cropped by Tahc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
First Communion: Fortepan adományozó URBÁN TAMÁS, CC BY-SA 3.0, source