All traditions
2,169 traditions so far, best known first. 12,543 more are on the list to be written. Filter by region, kind and meal.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇮🇹 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
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreEid al-Fitrعيد الفطر
The feast that ends Ramadan, opened with morning prayers, sweets and visits homeFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇦🇺 Australia and 5 moreGood Friday
A solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreMother's Day
A worldwide annual celebration dedicated to mothers, maternal bonds and family careHome
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreChristmas tree
A decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.Festival
🇮🇳 Ayodhya, India and 7 moreDiwaliदीपावली (Dīpāvalī)
A five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and its diaspora to mark the victory of light over darkness.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Iran and 7 moreNowruzنوروز
The Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsSeasonal
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelPassoverפסח
A Jewish spring festival celebrating freedom from slavery with ritual mealsSpiritual · Dinner
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreHoly WeekἉγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς
The solemn seven days leading to Easter, recalling the final week and Passion of JesusSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreHanukkahחֲנֻכָּה
An eight-day Jewish festival marking the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of a single day'Festival
🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMawlidمولد (Mawlid)
An annual festival marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, marked by poetry, processions and feasts.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Mathura, India and 5 moreHoliहोली (Hindi)
A spring festival of colours and bonfires that marks the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil.Festival
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreChristmas Eve
The evening before Christmas, marked by church services, family meals, and gift preparations across Christian cultures.Festival · Dinner
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelYom Kippurיוֹם כִּפּוּר
The holiest day in Judaism, dedicated to fasting, prayer and atonementSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇮🇱 IsraelRosh Hashanahרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
The Jewish New Year marked by shofar horn blasts, prayer and sweet foodsSpiritual
🇺🇸 New York, United States and 4 moreFeast of the Ascension
The fortieth day of Easter, when Christians remember Jesus being taken up into heavenSpiritual
🇺🇸 Philadelphia, United States and 1 moreIndependence Day
The United States' national day of parades, barbecues and fireworks, kept each July 4Ceremony
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 3 moreAs-salamu alaykumسَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ
A traditional Arabic greeting of peace exchanged in daily life and prayerEtiquette
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelSukkotסוכות
A seven-day autumn Jewish festival of temporary booths, harvest prayers and hospitalitySpiritual
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 morePurimפּוּרִים
A lively Jewish festival of storytelling, shared food, masks and charityFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇪🇸 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
🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico and 1 moreDay of the DeadDía de Muertos
A Mexican remembrance of deceased family and friends with altars, marigolds and feastsFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇪 Ireland and 2 moreJack-o'-lantern
A carved pumpkin lantern lit with a candle to brighten and protect Halloween nightsFolklore
🇧🇷 BrazilBaião
A syncopated folk rhythm and partnered dance from northeastern BrazilPerformance
🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineBanduraБандура
A Ukrainian plucked string instrument played to accompany epic songs and folk balladsPerformance
🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 moreʻIe tōga
Precious woven mats exchanged in Samoan ceremonies to honor family ties and chiefly status.Dress
🇵🇭 Marinduque, PhilippinesMoriones Festival
A Holy Week reenactment in Marinduque where masked participants search for the Roman centurion Longinus.Festival
🇺🇸 Fairbanks, United States and 2 moreWorld Eskimo-Indian Olympics
An annual Arctic gathering of traditional survival games, athletics, and cultural artsGame
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKenduri
A communal prayer meal and gathering shared across Indonesia, Malaysia and BruneiSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇹🇱 Timor-LesteUma Lulik
Sacred ancestral clan houses and ritual shrines in East TimorSpiritual
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreFriday the 13th
A Western folk superstition regarding the unluckiness of a Friday falling on the 13th.Folklore
🇲🇽 MexicoRarájipari
A traditional endurance running ball game of the Rarámuri people in northern MexicoGame
🇨🇭 Aproz, Switzerland and 2 moreCombat de Reines
An annual Swiss pushing contest where Hérens cows compete for herd dominanceGame
🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay
A traditional line and circle folk dance kept across Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Syria.Performance
🇧🇲 Hamilton, BermudaBermuda Day
A public holiday in Bermuda marking the start of summer activities with a parade and road race.Festival
🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 morePeʻa
The traditional Samoan rite of full-body tattooing for men, tapped by master artistsRite of passage
🇺🇬 UgandaKwanjula
A formal marriage introduction ritual of the Baganda people in Uganda, where families meet to exchange gifts and seek blRite of passage
🇳🇿 Auckland, New ZealandPoi
A Māori performing art of swinging tethered weights in rhythmical patterns.Performance
🇮🇪 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
🇵🇭 Philippines and 1 morePangalay
A traditional fingernail dance of the Tausūg and Bajau peoples in the Sulu Archipelago and Sabah.Performance
🇳🇪 In-Gall, NigerCure Salée
A yearly gathering of Tuareg and Wodaabe nomads in In-Gall to mark the end of the rainy season.Festival
🇵🇱 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
🇵🇪 Cusco, Peru and 4 moreIntiinti (Quechua)
The Inca sun deity, honoured with temples, offerings and the June festival Inti RaymiSpiritual
🇮🇳 Jammu, IndiaBhangra
A Punjabi harvest dance, first kept by farmers and now performed worldwidePerformance
🇸🇪 Mora, SwedenVasaloppet
A 90 km cross-country ski race from Sälen to Mora, run every March since 1922Game
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
- ʻIe tōga: Sarah Kelemen, CC BY 2.0, source
- Moriones Festival: EMMAN A. FORONDA, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- World Eskimo-Indian Olympics: Andrew Otto, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Uma Lulik: Isabel Nolasco, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Friday the 13th: Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, source
- Rarájipari: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Combat de Reines: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
- Peʻa: Thomas Andrew (1855-1939), Public domain, source
- Poi: RaviGogna, CC BY 2.0, source
- Trick-or-treating: Toyah Anette B, Public domain, source
- Pangalay: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cure Salée: NigerTZai, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St. Mary's Trumpet Call: Jadwiga, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Diwali: Kalli navya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Inti: Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, Public domain, source
- Good Friday: Bellina 09, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Christmas tree: Lechhansl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bhangra: Jimmysekhon25, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vasaloppet: Vasaloppet/Nisse Schmidt, CC BY 3.0, source
- Christmas: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Public domain, source
- Holi: Jitenderasingh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eid al-Fitr: Mohammed Tawsif Salam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Valentine's Day: Upload: Chordboard, Public domain, source
- Mother's Day: Dave Parker, CC BY 2.0, source
- Passover: User:RadRafe~commonswiki, Public domain, source
- Mawlid: Firdaus Latif, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Holy Week: Anonymous ( Maasland ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Hanukkah: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, source
- Yom Kippur: Maurycy Gottlieb, Public domain, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Rosh Hashanah: N100a . The original uploader was N100a at Hebrew Wikipedia ., Attribution, source
- Sukkot: Zachi Evenor, CC BY 2.0, source
- Purim: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Feast of Corpus Christi: Fennec ., Public domain, source
- Candlemas: Andrea Mantegna, Public domain, source
- Independence Day: John Trumbull, Public domain, source
- Feast of the Ascension: Gebhard Fugel, Public domain, source
- Christmas Eve: Carl Larsson, Public domain, source
- Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source