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.
🇮🇷 Iran and 7 moreNowruzنوروز
The Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsSeasonal
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 3 morePersian gardenباغ ایرانی
An ancient tradition of creating walled, geometric sanctuaries of shade and flowing waterCraft
🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and 4 moreMajlis
A traditional sitting room and community assembly for hospitality and civic counselEtiquette
🇾🇪 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
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 4 moreChaharshanbe Suriچهارشنبهسوری
An Iranian festival of fire and renewal celebrated on the eve of the final Wednesday before spring.Festival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇹🇷 Turkey and 6 moreHıdırellez
A spring festival marking the meeting of two prophets, celebrated across Turkey and the Balkans.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 IsraelYom HaZikaronיוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן
Israel's national day of mourning for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism.Ceremony
🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSizdah Bedarسیزدهبدر
An open-air picnic holiday concluding the Iranian New Year celebrationsFestival
🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaSaudi National Dayاليوم الوطني السعودي
An annual public holiday in Saudi Arabia marking the 1932 unification of the kingdom.Ceremony
🇮🇷 Yazd, Iran and 1 moreSadehسده
An ancient midwinter festival of fire, light, and the approach of springFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreCoffee culture
The habits and etiquette of drinking coffee, and the cafés built around itTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇮🇶 Kufa, Iraq and 5 moreArabic calligraphykhatt (خَطّ)
Artistic handwriting of the Arabic script, practiced as a sacred craft and a living visual tradition.Craft
🇹🇷 Van, Turkey and 5 moreChildren's Day
An international observance supporting youth welfare, education and children's rightsCeremony
🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonLebanese Independence Dayعيد الاستقلال اللبناني
Lebanon's national day, marking the end of French mandate rule in 1943Ceremony
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreEidiyahعيدية
The holiday custom of presenting cash and gifts to children and relativesFestival
🇯🇴 Amman, JordanAl-Balad Music Festival
A multi-day summer music festival held in the historic open-air theatres of AmmanPerformance
🇦🇪 Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesSir Bu Nair Festival
An annual maritime gathering celebrating seafaring and island conservation in SharjahFestival
🇶🇦 Doha, QatarDoha Cultural Festival
An annual sixteen-day arts and heritage festival held in Qatar's capitalFestival
🇱🇧 Beirut, LebanonBeirut International Women Film Festival
An annual cinema festival in Beirut celebrating films made by and about womenPerformance
🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAbu Dhabi Science Festival
An annual science festival in the United Arab Emirates with hands-on workshops and showsFestival
🇨🇾 Limassol, CyprusWine Festival of CyprusΓιορτή του Κρασιού
An annual autumn celebration of winemaking, folklore and food in Limassol, CyprusFestival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇨🇾 Nicosia, Cyprus and 1 moreInternational Festival of Ancient Greek Drama
An annual summer gathering in Cyprus staging classical Greek plays in historic open arenasPerformance
🇵🇸 Palestine and 1 morePalestine Festival of Literatureاحتفالية فلسطين للأدب
An annual touring literary gathering staging free bilingual readings across PalestinePerformance
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, IsraelLethal Lesbianלסבית קטלנית
An annual film festival in Tel Aviv dedicated to cinema by and about lesbian women.Festival
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chaharshanbe Suri: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source
- Hıdırellez: Правительство Республики Крым, CC BY 4.0, source
- Yom HaZikaron: אבישי טייכר, CC BY 2.5, source
- Saudi National Day: Faisal Arif, CC BY 4.0, source
- Sizdah Bedar: PersianDutchNetwork, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sadeh: Farzad j, Public domain, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Majlis: Abū Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Zayd, CC0, source
- Arabic coffee: Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Persian garden: dynamosquito, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Coffee culture: The original uploader was Hajor at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 3.0 br, source
- Lebanese Independence Day: Adib Ibrahim, Public domain, source
- Wine Festival of Cyprus: George M. Groutas, CC BY 2.0, source
- Arabic calligraphy: Aieman Khimji, CC BY 2.0, source
- Children's Day: Schekinov Alexey Victorovich, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Eidiyah: Rahbar Emamdadi, CC BY 4.0, source