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.
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.
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.
🇫🇷 France and 4 morePicnic
A meal taken outdoors in a park or scenic spot, often shared with friends and family.Festival · Lunch
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanKendo剣道
A Japanese martial art of swordsmanship using bamboo swords and protective armourGame
🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyCicchettiCicheti
A Venetian custom of small counter snacks enjoyed with a glass of local white wineTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and 4 moreMajlis
A traditional sitting room and community assembly for hospitality and civic counselEtiquette
🇦🇫 Kabul, Afghanistan and 1 moreJirgaجرګه
A traditional consultative council of elders that settles disputes through consensusCeremony
🇮🇹 Naples, Italy and 5 moreCaffè sospeso
An anonymous gift of a paid cup of coffee for a stranger in needTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇾🇪 Mokha, Yemen and 7 moreArabic coffeeqahwa (Arabic: قهوة)
A bitter, spiced brew served as a gesture of hospitality across the Arab world.Table custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇺🇸 United StatesPotluck
A shared meal where every guest brings a dish, kept by churches, clubs and neighborsTable custom · Dinner
🇦🇹 Vienna, AustriaViennese coffee house cultureWiener Kaffeehauskultur
A Viennese social ritual where patrons linger for hours with a single coffee and newspapers.Etiquette · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇦🇱 Albania and 1 moreKanunKanû
Albanian customary law kept by word of mouth, centred on honour and the given wordEtiquette
🇯🇵 JapanBowing in Japanお辞儀
The Japanese bow, used to greet, thank, apologise and show respectEtiquette
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreCoffee culture
The habits and etiquette of drinking coffee, and the cafés built around itTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇸🇬 Singapore and 3 moreMatchmaking
The custom of using a trusted intermediary to introduce partners for marriageRite of passage
🇨🇳 ChinaKowtow叩頭
A traditional Chinese prostration of deep respect by kneeling and bowing to the groundEtiquette
🇩🇪 GermanyHat tip
A gesture of lifting or touching one's hat to show respect, greeting, or thanksEtiquette
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreHip hip hooray
A traditional celebratory cheer of call and response to honour someoneFestival
🇺🇸 New York, United States and 5 moreBundling
A traditional courtship practice where a couple shares a bed under supervision to ensure compatibility and accountabilitRite of passage
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreEidiyahعيدية
The holiday custom of presenting cash and gifts to children and relativesFestival
🇨🇦 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
🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom and 2 moreOyez
A traditional ceremonial call chanted to open court sessions and civic assembliesCeremony
🇯🇵 JapanMoai模合 (Mo-ai)
A Japanese social support group that provides mutual aid and companionship to its members.Etiquette
🇬🇧 London, United KingdomQueen Charlotte's Ball
A historic coming-of-age gala where young women curtsey to an ornate birthday cakeRite of passage
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreBridesmaid
The companions and attendants who support a bride during a weddingRite of passage
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bridesmaid: Photographer not credited; relative or work for hire of relative., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Oyez: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
- Picnic: Thomas Cole, Public domain, source
- Kanun: Lekë Dukagjini & Shtjefën Gjeçovi, Public domain, source
- Kendo: Source: photo taken by Harald Hofer, CC BY-SA 2.0 at, source
- Cicchetti: Benreis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Majlis: Abū Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Zayd, CC0, source
- Jirga: Alpha4354747, Public domain, source
- Caffè sospeso: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0, source
- Arabic coffee: Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bowing in Japan: Maya-Anaïs Yataghène, CC BY 2.0, source
- Viennese coffee house culture: Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- Potluck: Mack Male, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Coffee culture: The original uploader was Hajor at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 3.0 br, source
- Matchmaking: Pavel Fedotov, Public domain, source
- Kowtow: Gary Todd, CC0, source
- Hat tip: Futrzak13, CC0, source
- Queen Charlotte's Ball: The Illustrated London News, Public domain, source
- Eidiyah: Rahbar Emamdadi, CC BY 4.0, source