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EveryParampara

All traditions

2,281 traditions so far, best known first. 12,321 more are on the list to be written. Filter by region, kind and meal.

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RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇲🇽 MexicoDanza de los ViejitosT'arche Uarakua A Purépecha masked dance honouring the sun and the four elements in MichoacánPerformance 🇺🇸 New York, United StatesWampum Shell beads woven into belts by Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands for record-keeping and ceremony.Folklore 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreMedicine wheel Sacred circular stone arrangements built across the plains of North AmericaSpiritual 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreDreamcatcherᐊᓴᐱᑫᔒᓐᐦ (asabikeshiinh) A hand-woven hoop from Anishinaabe tradition, hung above a cradle to protect a childCraft 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreFriday the 13th A Western folk superstition regarding the unluckiness of a Friday falling on the 13th.Folklore 🇺🇸 New York, United States and 1 moreFortune-telling Reading cards, palms or tea leaves to tell a client what may lie aheadFolklore 🇺🇸 Punxsutawney, United States and 1 moreGroundhog DayGrund'sau dåk A February ritual where communities watch a groundhog emerge to predict the length of winter.Festival 🇨🇦 Canada and 2 moreMummering A festive midwinter custom of disguised visits, music and playful guessing gamesFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇨🇦 Canada and 2 moreInuksuk Stone markers raised by Inuit across the Arctic to guide, hunt and rememberCraft 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreCalaca Skull and skeleton figures made for the Day of the Dead, joyful rather than sadCraft 🇺🇸 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 3 moreJumping the broom A wedding ritual where newlyweds leap over a broom to mark their unionRite of passage 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreLine-crossing ceremony A naval initiation rite marking a sailor's first voyage across the equatorRite of passage 🇺🇸 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 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreStatue rubbing A global custom of touching public statues to seek luck, love, or a return to the city.Festival 🇨🇦 Turtle Lake, CanadaTurtle Lake Monster A Saskatchewan lake legend of a huge creature, claimed sightings and a sturgeon theoryFolklore 🇨🇦 Wallaceburg, CanadaBaldoon Mystery A ghost story from Wallaceburg, Ontario, about a cursed farm and a silver bulletFolklore 🇨🇦 CanadaDalbec A boastful Quebec hunter hero whose tall tales were written down in the 1890sFolklore 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreMemphre A creature of Quebec and Vermont folklore, reported at Lake Memphremagog since 1816Folklore 🇺🇸 United StatesFlower girl A young child walking before the bride, scattering blossoms along the wedding aisleRite of passage

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly EveryParampara

Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.