Glossary
219 words of tradition explained in plain language: puja, seder, hangi, potlatch, mehndi, quinceañera and more.
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A
- Aarti
- The waving of a lit lamp before a deity, with song, to close a prayer.
- Adinkra
- Akan symbols stamped on cloth, each standing for a proverb or idea.
- Advent calendar
- A calendar with a door or a sweet for each day from 1 December to Christmas.
- Ao dai
- The long, slim, side-slit tunic worn over trousers by Vietnamese women.
- Aqiqah
- The Muslim welcome for a newborn, with a sacrifice and the shaving of the head.
- Asado
- The Argentine and Uruguayan barbecue, a long Sunday gathering around the grill.
- Aso ebi
- Matching cloth worn by family and friends at a Nigerian celebration.
B
- Banya
- The Russian steam bath, with birch branches, cold plunges and tea.
- Bar mitzvah
- The Jewish coming-of-age, when a young person becomes responsible for the commandments.
- Baraat
- The groom's wedding procession, with drums, dancing and often a white horse.
- Batik
- Cloth patterned by drawing in wax and dyeing, a craft of Java and beyond.
- Beshbarmak
- The Kazakh and Kyrgyz dish of boiled meat and noodles, eaten with the hands.
- Bhangra
- The vigorous Punjabi dance and music of the harvest and of weddings.
- Bindi
- The dot worn between the eyebrows, once a sign of marriage and now of beauty.
- Bogolan
- Malian cloth painted with fermented mud in bold patterns.
- Bon odori
- The circle dance performed at Obon to welcome and send off the spirits of the dead.
- Braai
- The South African barbecue, a social occasion around a fire.
C
- Calavera
- The skull, in sugar, paper or poem, that is a symbol of the Day of the Dead.
- Candomblé
- The Afro-Brazilian religion of the orixas, with drumming, dance and offerings.
- Capoeira
- The Afro-Brazilian art of dance, acrobatics and fight, played in a circle to music.
- Carnaval
- The pre-Lenten festival of parades, costumes and music, at its greatest in Brazil.
- Ceilidh
- A Scottish and Irish social evening of folk dancing and music.
- Chaharshanbe Suri
- The Persian custom of jumping over fires on the last Wednesday evening before Nowruz.
- Challah
- The braided egg bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
- Chanoyu
- The Japanese way of tea, a ceremony of preparing and serving matcha.
- Chuppah
- The canopy under which a Jewish couple are married.
- Cinnamon bun
- The spiced swirl bun of Sweden, with its own day on 4 October.
- Compadrazgo
- The bond of godparenthood, linking two families, in Latin America.
- Cornucopia
- The horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruit and grain, a symbol of harvest.
- Corroboree
- An Aboriginal Australian gathering of song, dance and storytelling.
- Couscous Friday
- The North African habit of serving couscous after the Friday prayer.
- Credencial
- The stamped booklet that Camino pilgrims carry to show their route.
D
- Dabke
- The Levantine line dance of stamping feet, danced at weddings and festivals.
- Dallah
- The long-spouted brass coffee pot of the Arab world.
- Darshan
- The act of seeing a deity, a holy person or a sacred image, and being seen.
- Dashain tika
- The red tika and barley shoots given by elders to the young at Nepal's great festival.
- Dastarkhan
- The spread cloth on which a Central Asian meal is served, and the hospitality it stands for.
- Dhol
- The double-headed barrel drum that drives Punjabi and Gujarati celebrations.
- Dirndl
- The Alpine dress of Bavaria and Austria, worn at festivals and Oktoberfest.
- Diya
- A small clay lamp lit with oil or ghee, the light of Diwali and every puja.
- Djembe
- The goblet-shaped hand drum of West Africa, played at celebrations.
- Doljabi
- The first-birthday game in which a Korean baby picks an object that foretells the future.
- Dreaming
- The Aboriginal Australian understanding of creation and the law that still holds.
E
F
- Feng shui
- The Chinese art of arranging buildings and rooms to harmonise with energy.
- Fika
- The Swedish coffee break with something sweet, shared with others.
- First fruits
- The first part of a harvest, offered in thanks before anyone eats.
- First-footing
- The Scottish and northern English custom of the first visitor of the new year bringing luck.
G
- Gamelan
- The percussion orchestra of Java and Bali, of gongs, metallophones and drums.
- Garba
- Circle dances of Gujarat performed at Navratri, with clapping or painted sticks.
- Gele
- The large folded headwrap of Nigerian women.
- Ghat
- The stepped riverbank where people bathe, pray and perform rites.
- Giveaway
- The Native American custom of giving gifts to others to honour them.
- Griot
- West African hereditary storyteller, singer and keeper of oral history.
H
- Haft-sin
- The Nowruz table with seven items beginning with the Persian letter sin.
- Haggis
- The Scottish pudding of oatmeal and spiced offal, served on Burns Night.
- Hajj
- The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, a duty once in a lifetime for those who can.
- Haka
- The Maori posture dance with chant, stamping and fierce expressions.
- Haldi
- A pre-wedding rite in which turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom.
- Hammam
- The communal steam bath of the Middle East and North Africa.
- Hamsa
- A hand-shaped charm, often with an eye, used to ward off harm in Jewish and Muslim cultures.
- Hanami
- Gathering under blossoming trees to enjoy the flowers and the season.
- Hanbok
- Korean traditional dress, with a short jacket and full skirt or trousers.
- Harambee
- The Kenyan tradition of pulling together to raise funds or finish a job.
- Hatsumode
- The first visit to a shrine or temple in the new year in Japan.
- Henna night
- The women's party before a North African or Middle Eastern wedding, when the bride is hennaed.
- Hongbao
- A red envelope containing money, given at New Year and weddings.
- Hongi
- The Maori greeting in which two people press noses and foreheads together.
- Hula
- The Hawaiian dance that tells stories with hand movements, chant and song.
- Hygge
- The Danish and Norwegian idea of cosy, relaxed togetherness.
I
- Iftar
- The meal that breaks the fast at sunset during Ramadan.
- Ihram
- The state of ritual purity and the plain white garments worn by pilgrims on hajj.
- Imbeleko
- The Xhosa and Zulu ceremony that introduces a child to the ancestors.
- Initiation
- A rite that admits a person to a group, an age grade or a spiritual society.
- Injera
- The spongy sourdough flatbread that serves as plate and spoon in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
- Inti Raymi
- The Inca festival of the sun, revived each 24 June at Cusco.
J
- Jebena
- The round-bellied clay pot used to brew Ethiopian coffee.
- Jesa
- The Korean ancestral rite, with a table of food set before the memorial tablet.
- Jollof rice
- The West African one-pot rice dish in a tomato sauce, central to parties and weddings.
- Joss paper
- Paper offerings burned for the dead, from money to houses and phones.
K
- Kachina
- A spirit being of the Hopi and Pueblo peoples, danced by masked men and carved as dolls.
- Kava
- The mildly numbing drink of roots, shared in ceremonies across the Pacific.
- Kebaya
- The fitted blouse-dress of Indonesia and Malaysia, often lace or embroidered.
- Kente
- Brightly woven strip cloth of the Asante and Ewe peoples of Ghana.
- Kiddush
- The blessing over wine that sanctifies Shabbat and festivals.
- Kilt
- The pleated knee-length wrap of Scotland, made in the pattern of a clan tartan.
- Kimono
- The T-shaped robe that is the traditional dress of Japan.
- Kirtan
- Devotional group singing, call and response, in Hindu and Sikh worship.
- Koha
- The gift given by guests to their hosts in Maori custom, often money.
- Kola nut
- A bitter nut offered to guests and used in rites across West Africa.
- Kolam
- South Indian floor drawing in white rice flour, made fresh each dawn.
- Kolyva
- A boiled wheat dish offered at Orthodox memorials and at Christmas Eve.
- Kora
- The 21-string harp-lute of the West African griots.
- Kosher
- Food prepared according to Jewish dietary laws.
- Kowtow
- The deep Chinese bow with forehead to the ground, a mark of the greatest respect.
- Krathong
- A small floating offering of leaves, flowers and candle, set on the water at Loi Krathong.
- Kumis
- Fermented mare's milk, the traditional drink of the steppe.
L
- Langar
- The free community kitchen of a Sikh gurdwara, open to everyone.
- Lantern
- A lit paper or glass lamp carried, hung or floated at festivals across Asia and beyond.
- Lavalava
- The wrapped waist cloth worn by men and women of the Pacific islands.
- Lei
- A garland of flowers, shells or leaves given in Hawaii as a sign of love and welcome.
- Li xi
- Red envelopes of lucky money given at the Vietnamese new year.
- Libation
- The pouring of a drink on the ground to honour ancestors and spirits.
- Lion dance
- A dance by two performers in a lion costume to drive off evil and bring luck.
- Lobola
- Gifts, traditionally cattle, from the groom's family to the bride's in Southern Africa.
M
- Majlis
- The sitting room or gathering where Arab hosts receive guests.
- Mangalsutra
- The sacred necklace a Hindu groom ties on the bride at the wedding.
- Marae
- The Maori communal meeting ground, with its carved meeting house and dining hall.
- Mariachi
- The Mexican ensemble of violins, trumpets and guitars that plays at celebrations.
- Masquerade
- A ceremonial dance in which a costumed performer embodies a spirit or ancestor.
- Mate
- The infusion of yerba mate leaves, shared from a gourd in the Southern Cone.
- Matzah
- The flat unleavened bread eaten at Passover.
- Mawlid
- The celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
- Maypole
- A tall decorated pole around which people dance in spring.
- Mehndi
- Henna paste drawn on the hands and feet, above all for brides and festivals.
- Mezuzah
- A small case with a scroll, fixed to the doorpost of a Jewish home.
- Midsummer pole
- The flower-covered pole raised and danced around on Midsummer in Sweden.
- Minga
- The Andean tradition of a community working together for a shared goal.
- Mistletoe
- The evergreen sprig hung at Christmas, under which couples kiss.
- Moko
- The Maori tattoo, cut with chisels and marked in curves that tell a person's lineage.
- Mooncake
- A rich round pastry shared at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Morris dance
- English folk dance with bells, sticks and handkerchiefs, performed by teams in spring.
- Mummers
- Costumed performers who visit houses at midwinter with a folk play or dance.
N
- Naadam
- The Mongolian summer festival of wrestling, archery and horse racing.
- Namaste
- The greeting with palms together and a small bow.
- Name day
- The feast day of the saint after whom a person is named, celebrated in many European countries.
- Nikah
- The Muslim marriage contract, agreed before witnesses and often read aloud.
- Nyepi
- The Balinese day of silence, when the whole island stays still for the new year.
O
- Ofrenda
- The altar of marigolds, candles and favourite foods built for the Day of the Dead.
- Ogoh-ogoh
- Giant monster figures paraded and burned on the eve of Nyepi in Bali.
- Ojigi
- The Japanese bow, from a nod to a deep bend, used in greeting and thanks.
- Omamori
- A small charm sold at shrines and temples for protection or a specific wish.
- Omikuji
- A paper fortune drawn at a shrine, tied to a tree if the luck is poor.
- Omotenashi
- The Japanese ideal of wholehearted hospitality, anticipating a guest's needs.
- Osechi
- The boxed foods of the Japanese new year, each with a lucky meaning.
P
- Pachamama
- The Andean Mother Earth, honoured with offerings at planting, harvest and the start of any work.
- Pandal
- A temporary decorated pavilion built for a festival, above all Durga Puja.
- Pchum Ben
- The Cambodian fifteen-day festival of offerings for the spirits of the dead.
- Piñata
- A decorated papier-mache figure filled with sweets and broken at celebrations.
- Polterabend
- The German eve-of-wedding party at which guests smash crockery for luck.
- Posada
- The nine nights of processions before Christmas in Mexico, re-enacting the search for shelter.
- Potlatch
- The ceremonial feast and gift-giving of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
- Powhiri
- The Maori ceremony that welcomes visitors onto a marae.
- Powwow
- A Native American gathering of dance, drumming, song and community.
- Prasad
- Food offered to a god and then shared out as a blessing.
- Puja
- A Hindu act of worship in which offerings are made to a deity.
Q
- Qahwa
- The lightly roasted, cardamom-spiced coffee served as a welcome in Arab homes.
- Qatayef
- Stuffed pancakes of Ramadan, filled with cheese or nuts and soaked in syrup.
- Qipao
- The close-fitting Chinese dress with a high collar and side slit.
- Quinceañera
- The celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in Latin America and the United States.
- Quipu
- The Inca knotted cords used to record numbers and perhaps stories.
R
- Rakhi
- A thread tied by a sister on her brother's wrist, with a promise of protection.
- Rangoli
- A pattern drawn on the floor at the doorway with coloured powder, rice flour or flowers.
- Rite of passage
- A ceremony that marks the move from one stage of life to another.
- Rosca de reyes
- The ring-shaped Epiphany cake with a hidden figure, eaten on 6 January.
S
- Samovar
- The metal urn for heating water for tea, the centre of the tea table in Russia, Iran and Central Asia.
- Sampeah
- The Cambodian greeting with palms together, raised higher for those of higher rank.
- Sangeet
- A pre-wedding evening of song and dance by the two families.
- Sankofa
- An Akan idea and symbol: it is not wrong to go back for what you forgot.
- Saptapadi
- The seven steps the Hindu couple take around the sacred fire at the heart of the wedding.
- Sarong
- A length of cloth wrapped round the waist, worn across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
- Sauna
- The Finnish heated room for bathing, a place of rest, cleansing and sometimes ritual.
- Scallop shell
- The shell worn by pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.
- Second line
- The dancing crowd that follows a New Orleans brass band parade.
- Seder
- The ritual Passover meal that retells the story of the Exodus.
- Selamatan
- A communal meal in Java and Malaysia held to ask for blessing and good fortune.
- Shabbat
- The Jewish day of rest, from Friday sunset to Saturday night.
- Sherwani
- The long buttoned coat worn by South Asian grooms and at formal occasions.
- Shiva
- The seven days of mourning observed by Jewish families after a burial.
- Shraddha
- Hindu rites of offering to the departed ancestors.
- Shuka
- The bright wrapped cloth of East Africa, such as the Maasai red blanket and the kanga.
- Sindoor
- Red vermilion powder worn in the parting of a married Hindu woman's hair.
- Smudging
- A cleansing ceremony in which sacred herbs are burned and the smoke is wafted over the body.
- Sobremesa
- The Spanish custom of lingering at the table, talking, after the meal is finished.
- Songline
- A path across the land, remembered in songs, that links sacred sites.
- Spirit house
- A small shrine in Thai gardens and shops where offerings are made to the guardian spirit of the place.
- Suhoor
- The pre-dawn meal before the Ramadan fast begins.
- Sukkah
- The temporary hut in which Jews eat during Sukkot.
- Supra
- The Georgian feast, led by a toastmaster, with wine and a long series of toasts.
- Sweat lodge
- A low dome in which heated stones and prayer are used in a purification ceremony.
T
- Taarof
- Iranian ritual politeness, with offers refused and pressed again.
- Tagine
- The conical clay pot and slow-cooked stew of Morocco and the Maghreb.
- Tamada
- The toastmaster who leads a Georgian supra with a series of toasts.
- Tamale
- Corn dough with a filling, steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf, made for festivals in Latin America.
- Tangi
- The Maori funeral gathering of several days at the marae.
- Tapa
- Bark cloth beaten from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree, decorated with patterns.
- Tapu
- The sacred or restricted state of a person, place or thing in Polynesian belief.
- Taraweeh
- The extra evening prayers of Ramadan, held in congregation at the mosque.
- Tatau
- The Samoan tattoo, a rite of passage done with a comb and mallet.
- Threshold
- The doorway of a home, treated in many cultures as a place of blessing and caution.
- Tiki
- A carved human figure in Polynesian art, worn as a pendant or set as a post.
- Tilak
- A mark on the forehead made with sandalwood, kumkum or ash, in blessing.
- Tipi
- The conical tent of hides or canvas of the Plains peoples of North America.
- Torii
- The gate that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine.
- Totem pole
- A carved cedar pole telling a family's history, made by Pacific Northwest peoples.
- Tteokguk
- The Korean new year soup of sliced rice cakes, eaten to gain a year of age.
- Tulsi
- The holy basil plant kept in the courtyard of many Hindu homes.
- Tumpeng
- A cone of yellow rice ringed with side dishes, served at Indonesian celebrations.
U
- Ubuntu
- A Southern African idea that a person is a person through other people.
- Ululation
- A high trilling cry made by women to express joy, in the Middle East and Africa.
- Ulwaluko
- The Xhosa initiation of young men into adulthood.
- Umu
- The underground oven of the Pacific, used for feasts on special days.
- Upanayana
- The Hindu initiation in which a boy receives the sacred thread.
V
- Vesak lantern
- Illuminated lanterns and frames hung for the Buddhist festival of Vesak in Sri Lanka.
- Vision quest
- A period alone in nature in fasting and prayer, seeking guidance, in many Plains traditions.
- Vrat
- A Hindu vow, usually of fasting, kept on a chosen day.
W
- Wai
- The Thai greeting with palms together and a bow of the head.
- Waiata
- Maori song, from lullaby to lament, sung at gatherings.
- Walima
- The wedding banquet given by the groom's family after a Muslim marriage.
- Wassail
- The old English custom of toasting apple trees or houses with song and spiced cider.
- Wayang
- Shadow puppet theatre of Java and Bali, telling epic stories through the night.
- Whakapapa
- The Maori recital of descent, linking a person to ancestors, land and the world.