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.

🇶🇦 Doha, QatarDoha Cultural Festival An annual sixteen-day arts and heritage festival held in Qatar's capitalFestival 🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaCaracas Pride An annual pride march in Venezuela calling for equal rights for LGBTQ communitiesCeremony 🇷🇸 Belgrade, Serbia and 2 moreMerlinka Festival An annual queer film festival held across Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and MontenegroFestival

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaBuenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaBuenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente An annual independent film festival bringing screenings and workshops to Buenos AiresFestival

🇮🇸 Reykjavík, IcelandIceland Noir An annual November literature and storytelling festival held in central ReykjavíkPerformance

🇯🇵 JapanKamifūsen紙風船 Japanese paper balloons enjoyed as self-inflating toys, gifts and festival lanternsGame 🇨🇦 Edmonton, CanadaGrand North American Old Time Fiddle Championship An annual summer fiddle tournament and community gathering in Alberta, CanadaPerformance 🇦🇴 Luanda, AngolaLuanda International Jazz Festival An annual jazz gathering staged in the capital of AngolaPerformance 🇯🇴 Amman, JordanAl-Balad Music Festival A multi-day summer music festival held in the historic open-air theatres of AmmanPerformance 🇲🇹 MaltaFestival Kanzunetta IndipendenzaKonkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza An annual music contest in Malta celebrating native songwriting around Independence DayPerformance

🇷🇺 Moscow, RussiaSpartakiad of the Peoples of the USSRСпартакиада народов СССР A massive multi-sport festival that brought together Soviet republics every four yearsGame 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkCopenhagen Distortion A week of street parties, club nights and a rave in Copenhagen celebrating new dance music.Festival 🇫🇷 Paris, FranceNyansapo Festival A French festival celebrating Black feminism and empowering diasporic women.Festival 🇧🇼 Gaborone, BotswanaBantu Film Festival An annual pan-African film festival held in Botswana celebrating continental cinemaFestival

🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNational costume of IndonesiaPakaian Nasional Indonesia The formal attire worn by Indonesians to represent the nation's diverse cultural heritage.Dress 🇺🇸 New York, United StatesBark Mitzvah A lighthearted coming of age celebration held by dog owners for their petsFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreStag and doe A Canadian fundraising party for an engaged couple, featuring games, food, and raffles to help pay for the wedding.Festival · Dinner 🇯🇲 Kingston, JamaicaJamaica Independence Festival An August festival of music, pageantry and parades marking Jamaican freedomCeremony 🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelLethal Lesbianלסבית קטלנית An annual film festival in Tel Aviv dedicated to cinema by and about lesbian women.Festival

🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSwiss traditional costumeSchweizer Trachten Distinct regional festive dress worn across the cantons of SwitzerlandDress

🇭🇺 Miskolc, HungaryKocsonya FestivalKocsonyafesztivál An annual winter food and culture festival held in Miskolc, HungaryFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇬🇧 United KingdomLincolnshire Day An annual county day on 1 October honouring the history and culture of LincolnshireCeremony 🇹🇼 TaiwanSimple Life Festival簡單生活節 A biennial cultural gathering in Taiwan featuring live music, markets and craftsFestival

🇦🇷 Villa General Belgrano, ArgentinaNational Beer Festival An annual Bavarian-style folk and beer gathering in Villa General Belgrano, Argentina.Festival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreEidiyahعيدية The holiday custom of presenting cash and gifts to children and relativesFestival

🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreFlabiol A Catalan woodwind flute played alongside a small drum in folk dancesPerformance

🇪🇪 Kuremaa, EstoniaJõgevatreff An annual international motorcycle festival held in Kuremaa, EstoniaFestival 🇨🇿 Prague, CzechiaPrague SoundsStruny podzimu An annual music festival in Prague presenting jazz, classical and electronic artistsFestival 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkNatFilm Festival An annual Danish cinema gathering held around Easter from 1990 to 2008Performance 🇵🇸 Palestine and 1 morePalestine Festival of Literatureاحتفالية فلسطين للأدب An annual touring literary gathering staging free bilingual readings across PalestinePerformance

🇪🇪 Tartu, EstoniaTartuff An open-air romance film festival held in the town hall square of Tartu, EstoniaPerformance

🇺🇿 Bukhara, UzbekistanAsrlar Sadosi An annual outdoor festival celebrating Uzbek folk arts, sports, crafts, and heritageFestival

🇩🇪 Munich, GermanyO'zapft is! The civic barrel-tapping ceremony that officially launches Munich's OktoberfestCeremony · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇲🇰 Bitola, North MacedoniaManaki Brothers Film Festival An annual international festival in Bitola honouring the craft of cinematographyFestival

🇫🇷 Paris, FranceParis CarnivalCarnaval de Paris An annual street celebration and costume procession across ParisFestival

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreNude wedding A marriage ceremony where the couple and guests gather without clothingRite of passage

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreScottish folk music Traditional ballads, fiddle tunes and bagpipe melodies from Scotland and its diasporaPerformance 🇨🇾 Nicosia, Cyprus and 1 moreInternational Festival of Ancient Greek Drama An annual summer gathering in Cyprus staging classical Greek plays in historic open arenasPerformance

🇽🇰 Gjilan, KosovoFlaka e Janarit A winter arts festival in Kosovo honoring national martyrs through music, drama and verseFestival 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAbu Dhabi Science Festival An annual science festival in the United Arab Emirates with hands-on workshops and showsFestival 🇰🇳 Charlestown, Saint Kitts and NevisCulturama An annual summer carnival celebrating Nevisian heritage and returning islandersFestival

🇽🇰 Prizren, KosovoDokuFest An annual summer gathering in Prizren dedicated to non-fiction cinema and short filmsFestival

🇲🇹 Floriana, MaltaIsle of MTV A major free summer open-air pop and electronic music gathering held in MaltaFestival

🇲🇼 Bolero, MalawiGonapamhanya festival An annual gathering of the Tumbuka people honouring their first paramount chiefFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇱🇻 Riga, LatviaRiga International Short Film Festival 2ANNASRīgas Starptautiskais īsfilmu festivāls 2ANNAS An annual autumn film competition and screening event held in Riga, LatviaPerformance 🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonBeirut International Women Film Festival An annual cinema festival in Beirut celebrating films made by and about womenPerformance

🇽🇰 Prizren, KosovoAutostrada Biennale A biennial contemporary art festival and cultural exhibition in Prizren, KosovoPerformance

🇸🇰 Pezinok, SlovakiaPezinok Grape Harvest FestivalPezinské vinobranie An annual autumn harvest and wine festival filling the streets of Pezinok, SlovakiaSeasonal · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

Photo credits on this page

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

Kamifūsen: アルトクール, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kocsonya Festival: Szalax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
National costume of Indonesia: President of Indonesia, Public domain, source
Iceland Noir: TommyBee, CC0, source
Autostrada Biennale: Lajmmoore, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pezinok Grape Harvest Festival: Bratislavská župa, CC BY 2.0, source
Gonapamhanya festival: Tumbuka Arch, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Isle of MTV: Continentaleurope, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
DokuFest: Fallbackintoreality, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Flaka e Janarit: E Sadiku, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Flabiol: P0mbal, CC0, source
Jõgevatreff: Aleksei Malogin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Tartuff: Tusklikupreili, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Asrlar Sadosi: Patisserie, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
O'zapft is!: Michael Lucan, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
Manaki Brothers Film Festival: US Embassy, Macedonia, Public domain, source
Paris Carnival: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Nude wedding: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, source
Scottish folk music: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema: Foto de Roblespepe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR: Scanning Dmitry Makeev , scan date - 2020 year., Public domain, source
Swiss traditional costume: Robertuswiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
National Beer Festival: Jmmuguerza, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Eidiyah: Rahbar Emamdadi, CC BY 4.0, source