Traditions of Europe
Carnival, Midsummer, Christmas markets, Easter, the village fête and the long Sunday lunch. 674 traditions on EveryParampara so far.
Countries
🇦🇱 Albania 26🇦🇩 Andorra 4🇦🇹 Austria 48🇧🇾 Belarus 28🇧🇪 Belgium 40🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13🇧🇬 Bulgaria 47🇭🇷 Croatia 30🇨🇿 Czechia 18🇩🇰 Denmark 25🇪🇪 Estonia 17🇫🇮 Finland 33🇫🇷 France 89🇩🇪 Germany 111🇬🇷 Greece 63🇭🇺 Hungary 20🇮🇸 Iceland 19🇮🇪 Ireland 72🇮🇹 Italy 107🇽🇰 Kosovo 17🇱🇻 Latvia 17🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 2🇱🇹 Lithuania 21🇱🇺 Luxembourg 14🇲🇹 Malta 15🇲🇩 Moldova 11🇲🇨 Monaco 1🇲🇪 Montenegro 11🇳🇱 Netherlands 27🇲🇰 North Macedonia 23🇳🇴 Norway 37🇵🇱 Poland 69🇵🇹 Portugal 23🇷🇴 Romania 38🇷🇺 Russia 94🇸🇲 San Marino 1🇷🇸 Serbia 40🇸🇰 Slovakia 15🇸🇮 Slovenia 22🇪🇸 Spain 96🇸🇪 Sweden 45🇨🇭 Switzerland 33🇺🇦 Ukraine 42🇬🇧 United Kingdom 189🇻🇦 Vatican City 3
Cities and towns
Rome 26London 25Moscow 17Dublin 16Vienna 16Athens 14Paris 13Venice 13Kraków 11Riga 11Seville 11Valencia 11
On the calendar
🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreChristmas
A festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared mealsFestival
🇮🇪 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
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreValentine's Day
A Christian feast day and cultural celebration of love kept on February 14 in many countries.Festival
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreChristmas tree
A decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.Festival
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreChristmas Eve
The evening before Christmas, marked by church services, family meals, and gift preparations across Christian cultures.Festival · Dinner
🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain and 5 moreFeast of Corpus ChristiCorpus Domini
A Christian feast celebrating the presence of Christ in the bread and wine of the EucharistSpiritual
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreCandlemas
A Christian feast of candle blessings marking the end of the Christmas seasonSpiritual
🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 5 moreVyshyvanka DayДень вишиванки
An annual day for wearing traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts across the worldDress
🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, Spain and 7 moreCamino de SantiagoEl Camino de Santiago
A Christian walking pilgrimage across Europe to the shrine of Saint James in SpainSpiritual
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSiesta
A short afternoon rest or sleep taken after the midday mealHome · Lunch
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreOberek
A rapid Polish spinning dance in triple metre with athletic lifts and jumpsPerformance
🇪🇪 EstoniaJaanipäev
Estonia's midsummer night of bonfires, song and fortune-telling, on 23 and 24 JuneFestival
🇳🇴 Oslo, NorwayHolmenkollen Ski FestivalHolmenkollen skifestival
An annual Nordic skiing festival at Holmenkollen in Oslo, held each March since 1892Game
🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 moreConclave
Cardinals sealed in the Sistine Chapel, voting until two thirds agree on a new popeSpiritual
🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 2 moreIrish traditional music
A living folk practice of dance tunes, airs, songs and communal pub sessionsPerformance
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkFaroese chain danceFøroyskur dansur
A living medieval chain dance guided by sung ballads in the Faroe IslandsPerformance
🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 morePontifical Swiss GuardPontificia Cohors Helvetica
The Swiss military corps charged with guarding the Pope and the Apostolic PalaceCeremony
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 1 moreHygge
A Danish word for unhurried time at home with others, kept with candles and cookingHome
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 morePub quiz
A weekly social trivia game played by teams at tables in pubs and barsGame
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 1 moreBanushбануш
A Carpathian cornmeal porridge cooked with sour cream and savoury toppingsTable custom
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreChristmas carol
Festive songs and hymns sung during the Christmas season and door to doorPerformance
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreMorris dance
A rhythmic English folk dance performed in costume with bells, sticks and handkerchiefsPerformance
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreHandshake
A brief clasp of hands to greet, part or seal a deal, with local rules on how it is doneEtiquette
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreApril Fools' Day
An annual day of lighthearted pranks, hoaxes and teasing kept on the first of AprilFestival
🇱🇹 LithuaniaVėlinės
A Lithuanian remembrance day honouring deceased souls with cemetery prayers and candlesSpiritual
🇳🇴 Norway and 3 moreGákti
A traditional coat worn by the Sámi people across northern Scandinavia and Russia, signaling origin and status through cDress
🇬🇧 South Queensferry, United KingdomThe Burryman
A man clad in burdock burrs walks a Scottish town for a day, bringing luck as he goesFolklore
🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandSt. Mary's Trumpet CallHejnał mariacki
A five-note bugle call played hourly from the tower of St. Mary's Church in Kraków, Poland.Performance
🇪🇸 Granada, SpainCante jondo
A solemn and profound vocal tradition of Andalusian flamenco song.Performance
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceCoupé-décalé
Ivorian dance music of club nights, flamboyant dress and money thrown to the crowdPerformance
🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyCicchettiCicheti
A Venetian custom of small counter snacks enjoyed with a glass of local white wineTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇬🇧 Pilton, United KingdomGlastonbury Festival
A five-day summer performing arts festival held on Somerset farmlandFestival
🇸🇪 Mora, SwedenVasaloppet
A 90 km cross-country ski race from Sälen to Mora, run every March since 1922Game
🇮🇪 Ireland and 2 moreJack-o'-lantern
A carved pumpkin lantern lit with a candle to brighten and protect Halloween nightsFolklore
🇮🇪 Waterford, IrelandSean-nós singingSean-nós
An unaccompanied, highly ornamented style of traditional Irish folk singingPerformance
🇮🇹 Naples, ItalyCaffè
Italy's daily coffee habit: espresso taken standing at the bar, and moka coffee at homeTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇫🇷 France and 4 morePicnic
A meal taken outdoors in a park or scenic spot, often shared with friends and family.Festival · Lunch
🇮🇪 Ros Muc, Ireland and 2 moreSean-nós dancedamhsa ar an sean nós
An improvised solo Irish dance: low footwork, free arms and a loud battering beatPerformance
🇬🇷 Olympia, Greece and 1 moreOlympic torch relay
The ceremonial journey of the flame from Olympia to each host city of the Olympic GamesCeremony
🇳🇴 Bergen, NorwayBuekorps
Youth marching groups of Bergen's neighbourhoods, with drums, banners and a May paradeCeremony
🇵🇱 Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland and 1 moreMarch of the LivingMarsz Żywych (Polish) · מצעד החיים (Hebrew)
An annual two-week journey to Poland ending in a silent walk from Auschwitz to BirkenauCeremony
🇮🇹 Naples, Italy and 5 moreGreasy pole
A slippery pole climbed, walked or crossed to win a prize at the top or the far endGame
🇮🇪 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
🇪🇸 Pamplona, Spain and 3 moreRunning of the bullsencierro
Runners sprint ahead of loose bulls through barricaded town streets in summerFestival
🇨🇭 Aproz, Switzerland and 2 moreCombat de Reines
An annual Swiss pushing contest where Hérens cows compete for herd dominanceGame
🇫🇮 Finland and 1 moreFinnish saunasauna
A weekly bathing ritual of steam and heat, central to Finnish life and wellbeing.Home
🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineBanduraБандура
A Ukrainian plucked string instrument played to accompany epic songs and folk balladsPerformance
🇮🇪 Galway, Ireland and 1 moreBrigid's crossCros Bhríde
A cross of woven rushes or straw, made for Saint Brigid's Day on the first of FebruaryCraft
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
- St. Mary's Trumpet Call: Jadwiga, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Christmas tree: Lechhansl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vasaloppet: Vasaloppet/Nisse Schmidt, CC BY 3.0, source
- Christmas: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Public domain, source
- Picnic: Thomas Cole, Public domain, source
- Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
- Valentine's Day: Upload: Chordboard, Public domain, source
- Running of the bulls: The original uploader was Bernard bill5 at Dutch Wikipedia . Later ver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gákti: Thorguds, Public domain, source
- March of the Living: No machine-readable author provided. Efka de~commonswiki assumed (base, CC BY 2.5, source
- Olympic torch relay: DieselCat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- The Burryman: Oliver Benton, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Feast of Corpus Christi: Fennec ., Public domain, source
- Buekorps: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Hygge: Johan Wessman / News Oresund, CC BY 2.0, source
- Candlemas: Andrea Mantegna, Public domain, source
- Caffè: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jaanipäev: Jaan Künnap, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Greasy pole: Andrepoiy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Banush: Trzewik, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Holmenkollen Ski Festival: Ahhh25, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Handshake: Rufino, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Conclave: User Maus-Trauden on de.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Morris dance: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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
- Sean-nós singing: Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Public domain, source
- Vyshyvanka Day: Vladimir Yaitskiy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- April Fools' Day: Lars Andersen, Public domain, source
- Irish traditional music: Gtapp, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Faroese chain dance: Eileen Sandá, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Oberek: Józef Chełmoński, Public domain, source
- Camino de Santiago: stephenD, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Siesta: Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, source
- Pontifical Swiss Guard: The White House, Public domain, source
- Cicchetti: Benreis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Finnish sauna: Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, source
- Christmas Eve: Carl Larsson, Public domain, source