Heritage news
HeritageThailand showcases Chud Thai craftsmanship in Paris ahead of UNESCO reviewFestivalsItalian Festival at the Mount celebrates heritage, community and a taste of the old country (79 photos)ArtsFamily Folk DanceHeritageWhy is Kolkata’s Durga Puja recognised as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage?HeritageWhy is Kolkata’s Durga Puja recognised as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage?WeddingsCalifornia city hall goes jurassic with dino wedding ceremonyCarnival28th Latino Heritage Parade and Festival Set for Today, Recognizing City’s ‘Unsung Heroes’WeddingsInternet sensation Mr Faisu gets married in traditional 'Nikah' ceremony, calls it a "blessing beyond words"Holy daysWhen is Diwali 2026? Key dates, significance, how to celebrateWeddingsArt of Betashar: Issatay Issabayev’s Lifelong Dialogue with Kazakh TraditionHeritageThailand showcases Chud Thai craftsmanship in Paris ahead of UNESCO reviewFestivalsItalian Festival at the Mount celebrates heritage, community and a taste of the old country (79 photos)ArtsFamily Folk DanceHeritageWhy is Kolkata’s Durga Puja recognised as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage?HeritageWhy is Kolkata’s Durga Puja recognised as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage?WeddingsCalifornia city hall goes jurassic with dino wedding ceremonyCarnival28th Latino Heritage Parade and Festival Set for Today, Recognizing City’s ‘Unsung Heroes’WeddingsInternet sensation Mr Faisu gets married in traditional 'Nikah' ceremony, calls it a "blessing beyond words"Holy daysWhen is Diwali 2026? Key dates, significance, how to celebrateWeddingsArt of Betashar: Issatay Issabayev’s Lifelong Dialogue with Kazakh Tradition
EveryParampara

Indigenous and traditional traditions

Indigenous and traditional spiritual and cultural practices belong to peoples who have lived on their lands for many generations: the First Nations and Native peoples of the Americas, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, the Maori and Pacific Islanders, the Sami, the many peoples of Africa and the hill peoples of Asia.

Indigenous and traditional spiritual and cultural practices belong to peoples who have lived on their lands for many generations: the First Nations and Native peoples of the Americas, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, the Maori and Pacific Islanders, the Sami, the many peoples of Africa and the hill peoples of Asia. Their traditions include ceremonies of the land, naming and initiation, healing, story and dance. Some are public and others private. EveryParampara describes only what communities share openly, and credits them as the source.

Land, ancestors and story

For many Indigenous peoples, land is kin, not property, and ceremonies thank the earth, the water and the animals. Ancestors are present, and stories of creation, such as the Dreaming, tell people how to live. Knowledge is passed by elders in language, song and dance. Many of these languages are under threat, and communities are leading efforts to teach them to the young.

Sharing with care

Some ceremonies are open to visitors, such as powwows and the Maori powhiri, and others, such as initiations, are restricted. Visitors are asked to listen, follow instructions, ask before taking photographs and avoid treating sacred things as entertainment. Many nations have protocols on the use of images and symbols. EveryParampara follows these requests and links to community voices and organisations wherever possible.

About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Indigenous and traditional (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇹🇱 Timor-LesteUma Lulik Sacred ancestral clan houses and ritual shrines in East TimorSpiritual 🇵🇭 Philippines and 1 morePangalay A traditional fingernail dance of the Tausūg and Bajau peoples in the Sulu Archipelago and Sabah.Performance 🇱🇦 Laos and 1 moreBaciບາສີ (Lao) A Lao rite that calls the soul home and ties a thread on the wrist for good luckSpiritual 🇲🇲 Bagan, MyanmarNat worshipနတ် Veneration of guardian spirits and nature deities alongside Buddhism in MyanmarSpiritual 🇮🇩 Ubud, IndonesiaBarongᬩᬭᭀᬂ A sacred Balinese masked dance drama depicting the eternal struggle of good and evilPerformance 🇻🇳 Hoa Lư, VietnamChèo嘲 Satirical folk musical theatre performed by village troupes across northern VietnamPerformance 🇹🇭 Phon Phisai, Thailand and 1 moreNaga fireballsบั้งไฟพญานาค (bang fai phaya nak) A festival of glowing orbs rising from the Mekong River, attributed to a mythical serpent.Festival 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 2 moreNgajatTanda Ngajat A traditional folk dance of the Iban people in Sarawak and Borneo, mimicking birds and warriors.Performance 🇹🇭 Thailand and 7 moreSpirit house A small roofed shrine on a pillar, kept in homes and villages across Southeast Asia to honour protective spirits.Spiritual 🇮🇩 IndonesiaPasola A ritual horseback spear contest in western Sumba marking the rice-planting seasonGame 🇵🇭 Cebu, PhilippinesBatok Indigenous Filipino tattooing, once worn as dress, rank and a rite of passageCraft 🇻🇳 VietnamHùng Kings' Temple FestivalLễ hội đền Hùng A Vietnamese national festival honoring the legendary founding kings with temple worship and processions.Festival 🇲🇾 Penampang, MalaysiaKaamatanTadau Kaamatan An annual May harvest celebration of thanksgiving and community across Sabah, MalaysiaSeasonal 🇵🇭 Kalibo, PhilippinesAti-Atihan A week of drumbeats, street dancing, and devotion to the Infant Jesus in AklanFestival 🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan A short communal meal on Java where neighbours share food, prayer and a wish for peaceSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreGawai DayakAri Gawai An annual harvest and thanksgiving festival of the Dayak peoples in BorneoSeasonal 🇹🇭 ThailandWai khruพิธีไหว้ครู A Thai ceremony of thanks to teachers, held in schools and in the artsSpiritual 🇲🇾 Kelantan, Malaysia and 2 moreMak yongTarian Mak Yong (Jawi: مق يوڠ) A dance-drama of Kelantan and Patani, told in song, music and improvised speechPerformance 🇵🇭 PhilippinesFilipino wedding customsKasalan A blend of indigenous rituals and Christian traditions marking the union of two families in the Philippines.Rite of passage 🇱🇦 Laos and 3 moreRocket Festivalບຸນບັ້ງໄຟ A rainy-season festival of merit-making, music, parades and homemade rocketsFestival 🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaWayangꦮꦪꦁ A night-long puppet theatre from Java, where a dalang tells epics behind a lit screenPerformance 🇹🇭 Dan Sai, ThailandPhi Ta Khonผีตาโขน A three-day festival in Dan Sai, north-east Thailand, of ghost masks and merit-makingFestival 🇵🇭 PhilippinesBali-og Layered necklaces and fringed collars from the Visayas and MindanaoDress 🇵🇭 PhilippinesPatadyong A traditional Philippine wrap skirt and versatile woven cloth from the VisayasDress 🇻🇳 VietnamSpace of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands of VietnamKhông gian văn hóa Cồng Chiêng Tây Nguyên Gong sets of Vietnam's Central Highlands, played for festivals and spiritsPerformance 🇵🇭 PhilippinesBuklog A thanksgiving ritual of the Subanen people in the Philippines, honoring spirits through offerings and dance.Spiritual

Photo credits on this page

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

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.