Secular and civic traditions

Secular and civic traditions are those kept without a religious frame: national days, parades, remembrance days, birthdays, graduations, school and university rituals, sporting customs, workplace habits and the rites of clubs and communities. They give people shared moments and symbols outside any faith, and many have grown over a century or two. EveryParampara includes them alongside older traditions, because a Fourth of July barbecue or a Burns Night supper is as much a tradition as any ancient rite, and is kept with equal feeling.

Nations and communities

National days, flags, anthems, parades and minutes of silence create a sense of belonging. Remembrance of war dead, in poppies, wreaths and the Last Post, is observed by millions. Local clubs, guilds and societies keep their own rituals, from the mayor's procession to the Rotary meeting. Each reflects the history and the values of the group, and many invite the public to attend.

Milestones without a church

Birthdays, graduations, retirements, housewarmings and baby showers are secular milestones, kept with cakes, speeches and gifts. Many couples hold civil weddings and non-religious naming ceremonies and funerals led by celebrants. These customs show how people create meaning and mark time together, and how traditions are made as well as inherited. Some of them are only a few decades old, and already feel like old friends. A tradition begins the first time a group of people decides to do something again next year.

About this page

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

🇪🇸 Barcelona, SpainLa Mercè Barcelona’s main annual city festival, honoring the Virgin of Mercy each September.Festival

🇬🇷 Athens, Greece and 1 moreCelebration of the Greek RevolutionΕορτασμός της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης του 1821 An annual civic holiday of parades and church services marking Greek independenceCeremony

🇰🇷 Boryeong, South KoreaBoryeong Mud Festival보령머드축제 A summer festival of mud baths, slides and music on the coast of South KoreaFestival

🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain and 2 moreDiada de Sant Jordi A Catalan feast day of literature and love, marked by giving books and red rosesFestival

🇹🇲 Ashgabat, TurkmenistanMelon Day A nationwide summer holiday in Turkmenistan honoring the country's prized melonsTable custom

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreMummers' play A comic folk drama of staged combat, death, and revival by an eccentric doctorPerformance

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

🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreTartan DayLà an Tartain An annual celebration of Scottish culture, clan tartans, and diaspora heritageFestival

🇨🇭 Vevey, SwitzerlandFête des Vignerons A once-in-a-generation wine festival and arena spectacle in Vevey, SwitzerlandFestival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

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

🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptSham Ennessimشم النسيم An Egyptian spring festival of picnics, salted fish, green onions and painted eggsSeasonal

🇬🇪 Tbilisi, GeorgiaTbilisobaთბილისობა An annual October festival celebrating the culture, harvest, and history of TbilisiFestival

🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesNational Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation An annual White House ceremony in which the American president spares a holiday turkey.Ceremony

🇵🇭 Baguio, PhilippinesPanagbenga Festival A month-long flower festival and parade in the mountain city of BaguioFestival 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreRéveillon A luxurious late-night feast that stretches until dawn across the winter holidaysTable custom · Dinner

🇪🇸 Valencia, SpainCremà The ceremonial burning of large artistic street monuments across the Valencian communityFestival

🇱🇹 Vilnius, LithuaniaLithuanian Song FestivalLietuvių dainų ir šokių šventė A periodic national festival of choral singing, dance and folklore in LithuaniaFestival

🇨🇱 Santiago, ChileFiestas Patrias Chile's homeland festivities celebrating national identity with music, dance, and foodCeremony 🇰🇪 Nairobi, KenyaMadaraka Day Kenya's annual public holiday marking the start of self-governance on 1 June 1963Ceremony

🇧🇪 Brussels, BelgiumMeyboomMaâbuum An annual Brussels parade and ceremonial tree planting held every AugustFestival

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif, AfghanistanNowruzنوروز The Afghan spring new year, celebrated with picnics, wheat pudding and dried fruit.Seasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇷 Patras, GreecePatras CarnivalPatrino karnavali A winter carnival of parades, street games and satirical floats in western GreeceFestival

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan and 5 moreKurashкөрәш Central Asian traditional upright folk wrestling using cloth belts or towelsGame

🇬🇾 Georgetown, GuyanaMashramani Guyana's national republic celebration filled with street pageantry, music and dance.Festival 🇮🇸 IcelandÞorrablót An Icelandic midwinter feast of dinner, speeches and poetryFestival · Dinner

🇮🇪 Galway, IrelandGalway International Oyster Festival An annual autumn gathering in Galway honouring native oysters with shucking contestsTable custom · Feasts and festival meals

🇹🇹 Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago Carnival An annual festival of street parades, masquerade bands, steelpan music and danceFestival

🇫🇷 Bayonne, FranceFêtes de BayonneBaionako Jaiak A five-day summer feria in Bayonne featuring parades, dances and white-and-red dressFestival

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

🇸🇪 Sweden and 2 moreGlögg A spiced, warm winter wine served across Nordic countries around ChristmasTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

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

🇧🇪 Aalst, BelgiumAalst CarnivalAalst Carnaval A three-day street carnival of satire, costumed parades and folk rituals in AalstFestival

🇨🇦 Montreal, CanadaMontreal International Jazz FestivalFestival international de Jazz de Montréal A ten-day summer jazz festival filling downtown Montreal with free and ticketed concertsPerformance

🇪🇸 Alicante, SpainBonfires of Saint John in AlicanteFogueres de Sant Joan A midsummer festival of towering satirical monuments, music and fire in AlicanteFestival

🇱🇻 Riga, Latvia and 4 moreLatvian Song and Dance FestivalVispārējie latviešu Dziesmu un Deju svētki A grand gathering of choirs, dancers and folk artists held every five years in LatviaPerformance

🇨🇭 Basel, Switzerland and 4 moreSwiss National DaySchweizer Bundesfeiertag Switzerland's annual national holiday, celebrated with bonfires, fireworks, and lanternsCeremony

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

🇺🇾 Montevideo, Uruguay and 3 moreMurga A lively Carnival musical theatre of chorus, percussion and social satirePerformance

🇨🇦 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

🇦🇷 ArgentinaDía de la Tradición An annual Argentine day celebrating gaucho customs on poet José Hernández's birthdayCeremony

🇲🇽 Mazatlán, MexicoCarnival of MazatlánCarnaval de Mazatlán An annual five-day festival of parades, fireworks, poetry and dance in coastal MexicoFestival

🇷🇸 Guča, SerbiaGuča Trumpet FestivalФестивал трубача у Гучи A weekend brass band competition and folk festival in western SerbiaFestival

🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoMexican Revolution DayDía de la Revolución Mexicana A Mexican civic holiday marking the 1910 uprising with parades and public ceremoniesCeremony

🇨🇺 Santiago de Cuba, CubaCarnival of Santiago de CubaCarnaval A summer street celebration of percussion troupes, dancing, and parades in eastern CubaFestival 🇫🇯 Suva, FijiRatu Sir Lala Sukuna Day An annual Fijian civic observance commemorating statesman Ratu Sir Lala SukunaCeremony

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

🇺🇾 Montevideo, UruguayCarnival in Uruguay An extended festival of drum processions, stage satire, and dance across Uruguay.Festival

🇷🇺 Moscow, Russia and 5 moreNovy GodНовый Год A secular winter celebration of decorated trees, family feasts and midnight giftsFestival · 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.

National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation: Trump White House Archived, Public domain, source
Jul: Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kurash: IlshatS, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Celebration of the Greek Revolution: Stefanos Kofopoulos, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
La Mercè: larry&flo, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Boryeong Mud Festival: Stinkie Pinkie, CC BY 2.0, source
Mummers' play: Aladjov, CC BY 3.0, source
Melon Day: AltynAsyr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Diada de Sant Jordi: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tbilisoba: DDohler, CC BY 2.0, source
Sham Ennessim: Ikonact, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Thanksgiving: Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Fête des Vignerons: "Groupement des photographes officiels" / Fête des vignerons Vevey / S, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Panagbenga Festival: lolay, CC BY 2.0, source
Tartan Day: daniel2177, CC BY 2.0, source
Cremà: Paula Ramírez Morant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Carnival in Uruguay: Graham Stanley, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Novy God: Евгений Самарин, CC BY 4.0, source
Festival of the Flowers: SajoR, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Carnival of Santiago de Cuba: Christian Pirkl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Guča Trumpet Festival: svickova, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Carnival of Mazatlán: The New Foxy, CC0, source
Día de la Tradición: GCBA, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Quebec Winter Carnival: Shapiros10, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Murga: Mediared, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Easter parade: Meister der Palastkapelle in Palermo, Public domain, source
Swiss National Day: Vincent de Groot, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Latvian Song and Dance Festival: Laima Gūtmane (simka), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Montreal International Jazz Festival: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
Aalst Carnival: Wikisid, CC BY 3.0, source
Seville Fair: Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Julebord: Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fêtes de Bayonne: Belarra64, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival: Jean-Marc /Jo BeLo/Jhon-John, CC BY 2.0, source
Mashramani: King sheik at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Patras Carnival: www.infocenterpatras.gr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Nowruz: Peretz Partensky, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Meyboom: Henxter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Galway International Oyster Festival: Thoslee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fiestas Patrias: Osmar Valdebenito, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Lithuanian Song Festival: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Glögg: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Mexican Revolution Day: Ute Hagen, CC BY 2.0, source
Bonfires of Saint John in Alicante: Fernando Pastor, CC BY 2.0, source