Traditions of North America
Thanksgiving, powwow, Dia de Muertos, the Fourth of July and the Canadian maple season. 164 traditions on EveryParampara so far.
Countries
Cities and towns
New York 38Toronto 19New York City 17Mexico City 16Los Angeles 15Chicago 13Philadelphia 13New Orleans 12Washington 12
On the calendar
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSuper Bowl Sunday
The day the NFL championship is played, kept with gatherings and buffet foodFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇺🇸 United StatesMakahiki
A four-month Hawaiian new year season of peace, harvest gifts, feasts and gamesSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇲🇽 Tijuana, Mexico and 1 moreBirria
A rich, seasoned meat stew from western Mexico, cooked for gatherings and holidaysTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇲🇽 Guadalajara, MexicoMexican hat danceJarabe tapatío
Mexico's national courtship dance, in which a dancer's steps circle the brim of a hatPerformance
🇺🇸 United StatesRehearsal dinner
A meal the night before a US wedding, when the wedding party gathers to toast and thankRite of passage · Dinner
🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreWedding cord
A loop of white cord laid over a kneeling bride and groom in Catholic weddingsRite of passage
🇺🇸 Cleveland, United StatesClambake
Shellfish steamed over seaweed in a pit, eaten outdoors along the New England coastTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇲🇽 Papantla, Mexico and 1 moreDanza de los Voladores
A Mesoamerican rite of dance and rope, flown from a tall pole to ask for rainSpiritual
🇺🇸 New York City, United StatesTimes Square Ball
A ball of light slides down a pole in Times Square to mark the start of the new yearFestival
🇨🇦 Montréal, CanadaCeinture fléchée
A fingerwoven woollen sash tied at the waist, worn by Québécois and Métis peoplesDress
🇲🇽 Mexico City, MexicoOfrenda
A home altar of food, flowers and candles that welcomes the dead home at Día de MuertosSpiritual
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreCalaca
Skull and skeleton figures made for the Day of the Dead, joyful rather than sadCraft
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBaby shower
A gift-giving party for a new or expected baby, kept in many countriesRite of passage
🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesMardi Gras Indians
A New Orleans carnival tradition where Black revelers wear elaborate Native American-inspired suits to honor historical Festival
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBachelor party
A send-off for a groom-to-be, kept in the days and weeks before a weddingRite of passage
🇺🇸 Hilo, United StatesMerrie Monarch Festival
A spring week of hula in Hilo, closing with three nights of competitionFestival
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreWedding reception
The party after a wedding, where the couple greet guests over food, cake and dancingFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇲🇽 Veracruz, Mexico and 3 moreBaile folklórico
Staged folk dances of Mexico and Central America, with regional dress and mariachi musicPerformance
🇨🇦 Canada and 2 moreInuksuk
Stone markers raised by Inuit across the Arctic to guide, hunt and rememberCraft
🇺🇸 United StatesGreen Corn CeremonyPuskita
A Southeastern harvest and new year ceremony of fasting, dancing and renewalSeasonal
🇺🇸 United StatesLūʻau
A Hawaiian feast of kālua pig and poi, eaten by hand outdoors with music and hulaTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreTailgate party
Grilling, sharing and drinking beside a car before the game, mostly in North AmericaTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇺🇸 Chicago, United States and 5 moreLabour Day
A day honouring workers, kept on 1 May in most countries and on other dates elsewhereFestival
🇺🇸 Spokane, United States and 5 moreFather's Day
A day to honour fathers and fatherhood, kept on many different dates worldwideFestival
🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreBeatification
A Catholic rite conferring the title Blessed and allowing local public venerationSpiritual
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreTrinity SundayDominica Trinitatis
A Christian feast honouring the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit after PentecostSpiritual
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreCyber Monday
An annual online shopping observance held on the Monday following American Thanksgiving.Seasonal
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreMarriage proposal
A ritual where one partner asks another to marry them, marking the start of engagement.Rite of passage
🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada and 1 moreStar Wars Day
An annual worldwide celebration of the Star Wars universe on May 4Festival
🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreBuy Nothing Day
An annual 24-hour pause on shopping to protest consumerism and overconsumptionCeremony
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreWikipedia Day
An annual gathering and birthday party for the Wikipedia community every JanuaryFestival
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreVigil
A purposeful watch of prayer, mourning, or reflection kept through the nightSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreWorkers' Memorial Day
An annual day remembering people killed, injured, or made ill by their workCeremony
🇺🇸 Sitka, United StatesAlaska Day
Alaska's 18 October holiday marking the 1867 transfer from Russia to the United StatesCeremony
🇺🇸 United StatesFestivus
A secular December observance marked by bare poles, voiced grievances, and wrestlingFestival · Dinner
🇺🇸 Columbia, United States and 1 moreBreastfeeding in public
The custom of nursing an infant openly in shared and public spacesHome
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreInternational Masturbation Month
An annual May observance promoting sexual health, pleasure, and open dialogueSeasonal
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreLine-crossing ceremony
A naval initiation rite marking a sailor's first voyage across the equatorRite of passage
🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada and 5 moreNo Bra Day
An annual October observance promoting breast cancer awareness and bodily autonomySeasonal
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreFeast of the Holy Name of Jesus
A Christian observance honoring the name of Jesus, celebrated on various dates across different traditions.Spiritual
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreArmed Forces Day
A civic holiday honouring national military services, their history and active personnelCeremony
🇨🇦 Ottawa, CanadaNational Flag of Canada DayJour du drapeau national du Canada
Canada's annual day for the maple leaf flag, kept on 15 February since 1996Ceremony
🇺🇸 United StatesRumspringaRumshpringa
An adolescent period of courtship and social exploration in Amish communities.Rite of passage
🇺🇸 New York, United States and 5 moreWorld Religion Day
An annual day in January dedicated to spiritual unity and harmony across all faiths.Spiritual
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreLGBTQ History Month
An annual month of education and remembrance celebrating queer lives and civil rightsCeremony
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreBanned Books Week
An annual autumn campaign celebrating the freedom to read and access challenged booksCeremony
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreMarco Polo
A swimming pool tag game where one blindfolded player uses sound to find othersGame
🇺🇸 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
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Mardi Gras Indians: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mexican hat dance: Salvador alc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Birria: Equipo 9mkt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Makahiki: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Super Bowl Sunday: Tech. Sgt. Steve Horton, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, source
- Bachelor party: Derek Springer, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Merrie Monarch Festival: Allanbcool, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wedding reception: Konstantin Makovsky, Public domain, source
- Baile folklórico: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Inuksuk: Christina Chan, CC BY 2.0, source
- Trinity Sunday: Max Fürst, Public domain, source
- Banned Books Week: carmichaellibrary, CC BY 2.0, source
- Green Corn Ceremony: George Catlin, Public domain, source
- Lūʻau: Ralawami, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tailgate party: Ben Vardi, Public domain, source
- Wedding cord: Phil! Gold, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Clambake: inuyaki.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Danza de los Voladores: A01333649, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Times Square Ball: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ceinture fléchée: Ceinture fléchée, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ofrenda: Eneas de Troya, CC BY 2.0, source
- Calaca: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Baby shower: Goizarin, CC0, source
- Alaska Day: Sgt. David Bedard, Public domain, source
- Labour Day: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Father's Day: Jjsarto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- No Bra Day: Ralf Roletschek, GFDL, source
- Beatification: Stebunik, CC BY 3.0, source
- Marriage proposal: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Buy Nothing Day: Brave New Films, CC BY 2.0, source
- Wikipedia Day: Thejoppyloppy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vigil: unknown master, Public domain, source
- Workers' Memorial Day: Jungpionier, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Breastfeeding in public: carlosalbertony, CC0, source
- Festivus: en:User:DRosenbach Original uploader was DRosenbach at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Line-crossing ceremony: Jules de Caudin, Public domain, source
- Armed Forces Day: Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY 4.0, source