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.

🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreHalloween An annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritageFestival · Sweets given and shared

🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreValentine's Day A Christian feast day and cultural celebration of love kept on February 14 in many countries.Festival

🇬🇷 Olympia, Greece and 1 moreOlympic torch relay The ceremonial journey of the flame from Olympia to each host city of the Olympic GamesCeremony

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreChristmas carol Festive songs and hymns sung during the Christmas season and door to doorPerformance

🇮🇪 Ireland and 4 moreTrick-or-treating A custom where children visit homes in costume to ask for treats or face a playful prank.Festival · Sweets given and shared

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMumming A medieval European custom of masked house-to-house visits, performances and seasonal revelry.Festival

🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 5 moreVyshyvanka DayДень вишиванки An annual day for wearing traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts across the worldDress

🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreHousewarming party A gathering held soon after moving into a new home to celebrate the space and welcome guests.Home

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 morePub quiz A weekly social trivia game played by teams at tables in pubs and barsGame

🇮🇪 Ireland and 2 moreJack-o'-lantern A carved pumpkin lantern lit with a candle to brighten and protect Halloween nightsFolklore

🇫🇷 Paris, France and 3 moreFête de la Musique An annual celebration where people play music in public spaces on the summer solstice.Festival

🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineBanduraБандура A Ukrainian plucked string instrument played to accompany epic songs and folk balladsPerformance

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreApril Fools' Day An annual day of lighthearted pranks, hoaxes and teasing kept on the first of AprilFestival

🇫🇷 France and 4 morePicnic A meal taken outdoors in a park or scenic spot, often shared with friends and family.Festival · Lunch

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSiesta A short afternoon rest or sleep taken after the midday mealHome · Lunch 🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreMaifest A traditional German celebration marking the arrival of spring with decorated maypolesFestival

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomChelsea Flower Show A five-day May horticultural festival held in London by the Royal Horticultural SocietyFestival

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreArbor Day An annual secular observance dedicated to planting and caring for trees around the worldCeremony

🇨🇭 Aproz, Switzerland and 2 moreCombat de Reines An annual Swiss pushing contest where Hérens cows compete for herd dominanceGame

🇬🇧 Pilton, United KingdomGlastonbury Festival A five-day summer performing arts festival held on Somerset farmlandFestival

🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyCicchettiCicheti A Venetian custom of small counter snacks enjoyed with a glass of local white wineTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇮🇹 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

🇩🇪 Nuremberg, Germany and 5 moreChristmas marketWeihnachtsmarkt A seasonal street market held during Advent in German-speaking regions and beyond, featuring stalls, food, and crafts.Festival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsKing's DayKoningsdag A Dutch national holiday celebrating the monarch's birthday with street markets and orange attire.Festival

🇫🇷 FranceFest nozfest noz (pl. festoù noz) A Breton night festival of group dancing and live acoustic music, kept in Brittany and its diaspora.Festival · Tea-time and snacking customs

🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 14 morePysankaписанка A wax-resist egg decorating tradition kept by Slavic communities for Easter and spring renewal.Festival

🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 5 moreBloomsdayLá Bloom A celebration of James Joyce and his novel Ulysses, observed on 16 June in Dublin and worldwide.Festival · Breakfast

🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 4 moreMay Day A traditional European festival welcoming summer with greenery, dances and bonfiresSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇧 Edinburgh, United KingdomHogmanay The Scottish celebration of New Year's Eve and the first days of the new year.Festival · Feasts and festival meals

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomTrooping the Colour The annual British military parade marking the official birthday of the monarch.Ceremony

🇬🇧 London, United KingdomNotting Hill Carnival An annual London street carnival celebrating British Caribbean culture and musicFestival

🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyFesta della Repubblica Italy's national day marking the 1946 public vote to establish a democratic republicCeremony 🇷🇴 Romania and 3 moreMărțișor A spring custom of wearing intertwined red and white strings to welcome the new season.Festival

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreBurns supperBurns Nicht A Scottish celebratory meal of haggis, poetry and toasts in honour of Robert BurnsFestival · Dinner

🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom and 5 moreChristmas cracker A decorative paper tube pulled apart with a bang during Christmas dinnerFestival · Dinner

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 4 moreRisalamande A chilled Danish Christmas rice dessert with cream, chopped almonds and cherry sauceTable custom · Sweets given and shared

🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 5 moreFastelavn A pre-Lenten carnival in Northern Europe where children dress up, sing for treats, and break candy-filled barrels.Festival · Sweets given and shared

🇷🇺 RussiaScarlet SailsАлые паруса A summer graduation celebration on the Neva River in Saint PetersburgFestival

🇪🇸 Valencia, SpainWater Tribunal of the plain of ValenciaTribunal de les Aigües de la Vega de València A weekly outdoor gathering of Valencian farmers settling irrigation disputes by word of mouthCeremony

🇳🇴 Oslo, NorwayRussefeiring A spring graduation rite of passage for Norwegian secondary school studentsRite of passage

🇱🇻 Riga, Latvia and 4 moreJāņi An annual Latvian summer solstice celebration of bonfires, singing and woven wreathsFestival

🇸🇮 Slovenia and 1 morePrešeren DayPrešernov dan A national celebration of arts and literature observed across Slovenia on 8 FebruaryCeremony

🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSechseläutenSächsilüüte Zurich's spring festival marked by guild parades and the burning of a snowman effigySeasonal

🇬🇷 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

🇪🇸 Pamplona, Spain and 5 moreProcessional giants Towering costumed figures carried through town streets during communal festivalsFestival

🇩🇪 Cologne, GermanyCologne CarnivalKölner Karneval A street festival in Cologne with parades, masquerades and a ruling trioFestival

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

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

Photo credits on this page

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

Jack-o'-lantern: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Bandura: Julianhayda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Combat de Reines: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Trick-or-treating: Toyah Anette B, Public domain, source
Picnic: Thomas Cole, Public domain, source
King's Day: Carmelrmd, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
May Day: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
Notting Hill Carnival: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, source
Festa della Repubblica: Anthony Majanlahti, CC BY 2.0, source
Trooping the Colour: Carfax2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fastelavn: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Water Tribunal of the plain of Valencia: José Jordan, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo, source
Risalamande: Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Scarlet Sails: Kora27, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Russefeiring: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
Burns supper: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Prešeren Day: Franz von Kurz zum Thurn und Goldenstein, Public domain, source
Olympic torch relay: DieselCat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Celebration of the Greek Revolution: Stefanos Kofopoulos, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Christmas cracker: en:User:Cgros841, Public domain, source
Sechseläuten: anonymous, Public domain, source
Diada de Sant Jordi: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pub quiz: JIP, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Glastonbury Festival: Czampal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Christmas carol: Prathyush Thomas, GFDL 1.2, source
Vyshyvanka Day: Vladimir Yaitskiy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
April Fools' Day: Lars Andersen, Public domain, source
Siesta: Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, source
Cicchetti: Benreis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Caffè sospeso: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0, source
Chelsea Flower Show: Nzfauna, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Arbor Day: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Housewarming party: State Library of Queensland, Australia, No restrictions, source
Mumming: Flemish illuminator Jehan de Grise and his workshop, 1338-1344, Public domain, source
Fête de la Musique: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Fest noz: Man vyi, Public domain, source
Processional giants: Jesús Serna, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Pysanka: Lubap, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Cologne Carnival: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Jāņi: Heinrihsons, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Bloomsday: No machine-readable author provided. Flapdragon assumed (based on copy, Public domain, source
La Mercè: larry&flo, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Hogmanay: Robbie Shade, CC BY 2.0, source
Valentine's Day: Upload: Chordboard, Public domain, source
Christmas market: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, source