All traditions
2,291 traditions so far, best known first. 12,311 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
🇮🇳 India and 5 morePretaप्रेत
Offerings and rites for spirits enduring deep hunger across Asian traditions.Spiritual
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTribal youth dormitoryMorung
A communal house where a tribe's unmarried young people sleep, learn and serveRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePhulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ
Geometric and floral threadwork embroidered by Punjabi women on handwoven cotton.Craft
🇮🇳 IndiaSaptapadiसप्तपदी (Sanskrit), सात फेरे (Marathi)
The seven-step ritual that finalizes a Hindu marriage, observed across India.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAkhand Pathਅਖੰਡ ਪਾਠ
The unbroken, continuous reading of the entire Sikh scripture over two daysSpiritual
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreUpanayanaउपनयन (Sanskrit)
A Hindu rite of passage that begins a child's study and marks a second birthRite of passage
🇮🇳 Gaya, India and 1 moreShraddhaश्राद्ध
Rituals of faith for the ancestors, kept yearly and through Pitru PakshaSpiritual
🇮🇳 Haridwar, India and 3 moreAntyestiअन्त्येष्टि
The traditional Hindu funeral ceremony and final rite of passageRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaTulasi Vivahaतुलसी विवाह (Tulasī Vivāha)
A ritual wedding of the tulasi plant to Vishnu, kept in homes and temples across IndiaSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaNamakaranaनामकरणम्
A Hindu rite that gives a baby its name, kept in the days after a birthRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreHindu weddingVivaha (विवाह)
A traditional Hindu marriage ceremony involving sacred rituals and vows witnessed by fire.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaGaye holudগায়ে হলুদ
A Bengali pre-wedding ceremony where turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groomRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaVision quest
A coming-of-age fast and vigil, kept by some Native American peoplesRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreFuneral
The ceremony a community holds when someone dies, from burial to cremationRite of passage
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India
Weddings across India, each shaped by faith, region and familyRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaZoroastrian wedding
A multi-day Zoroastrian ceremony uniting two people through prayers, rituals and a shared meal.Rite of passage · Dinner
🇱🇰 Sri LankaKiribathකිරිබත්
Rice cooked in coconut milk, the dish of Sinhalese New Year and family beginningsTable custom · Breakfast
🇱🇰 Sri LankaPoruwa ceremony
A Sinhalese wedding rite held on a decorated wooden platform called a PoruwaRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMangalasutraमङ्गलसूत्रम् (maṅgalasūtram)
A necklace tied by the groom at a wedding, worn through married lifeDress
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSindoorसिंदूर
A red powder worn in the hair parting by many married Hindu womenDress
🇮🇳 India and 2 morePujaपूजा (pūjā)
Hindu worship: light, flowers and food offered to a deity or a guestSpiritual
🇵🇰 PakistanPakistani weddingپاکستانی شادی
Weddings across Pakistan: a match is found, a contract signed, two families joinedRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreYajnaयज्ञ
A Hindu ritual of offering items into a sacred fire to honor deities and ancestors.Spiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaSvayamvaraस्वयंवर
An ancient Indian noble assembly where a bride chose her husband among suitorsRite of passage
🇮🇳 Varanasi, IndiaHead shaving in Hinduism
Ritual tonsure for spiritual renewal, life transitions, and devotion in HinduismSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaPumsavanaपुंसवन (Puṁsavana)
A Hindu rite of passage held in the third or fourth month of pregnancy to celebrate fetal development.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaVidyarambhamविद्यारम्भ
A Hindu rite of passage introducing young children to reading, writing and the artsRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreBengali Hindu weddingবাঙালি হিন্দু বিবাহ
A Bengali Hindu wedding ceremony spanning days of turmeric rites, sacred vows, and welcoming rituals.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaRitu Kala SamskaramRitushuddhi
A South Indian Hindu coming-of-age ceremony for girls after their first period.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFirst haircut
A rite of passage marking a child's first shave or trim across many cultures and faiths.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Haridwar, IndiaAntam Sanskarਅੰਤਮ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ (Antam Sanskar)
The final rites of passage in Sikhism, involving prayer, cremation, and the dispersal of ashes.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian
A pre-wedding cleansing ritual in Punjabi traditions, using turmeric paste to prepare the couple for marriage.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaNaam Karanਨਾਮ ਕਰਨ
A Sikh naming ceremony held at a Gurdwara to bless the child and choose their name.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaDivja
A Goan ritual where women carry oil lamps in a temple procession to fulfill vows.Spiritual
🇮🇳 Jammu, India and 1 moreChura
A set of bridal bangles worn across South Asia at weddings and in early marriageDress
🇳🇵 Kathmandu, NepalTraditional Newar clothingनेवार समुदायमा भएको संस्कृति पहिरन
The customary handwoven dress and ceremonial garments of Nepal's Newar peopleDress
🇮🇳 IndiaMadisarமடிசார் (Tamil)
A nine-yard sari drape kept by Tamil Brahmin women for weddings, puja and mourningDress
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreAnand Karajਅਨੰਦ ਕਾਰਜ
The Sikh wedding ceremony, with hymns sung as the couple circles the Guru Granth SahibRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationनिमन्त्रण पत्र/पत्रिका
Decorative ceremonial cards sent to announce marriages and invite guests across IndiaRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreWedding dress
The dress a bride wears at her wedding, white in the West and often red in the EastDress
🇮🇳 IndiaPolitical marriages in India
Royal marriages arranged to seal treaties, peace and power in Indian historyRite of passage
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreShagoranaসাগরানা
A ceremonial wedding feast platter presented to the groom in BangladeshTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaSahasra Purna Chandrodayamसहस्र-(पूर्ण)चन्द्र-दर्शन
A Hindu rite marking a person's thousandth full moon, celebrated around age eighty-one.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India
Marriage rites and festive gatherings celebrated across the diverse communities of India.Rite of passage
🇳🇵 NepalPatukaपटुका
A traditional Nepalese cloth sash worn for core support, carrying items and festivitiesDress
🇮🇳 IndiaVadhu Praveshaवधूप्रवेश
A Hindu ceremony welcoming a bride into her new husband's homeRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaPrathamastami
An Odia ritual blessing the firstborn child for long life and good fortuneRite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePunjabi wedding traditions
The multi-day marriage customs and rituals of Hindu and Sikh Punjabi familiesRite of passage · Sweets given and shared
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Antyesti: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Preta: Temple, Richard Carnac, Sir, Public domain, source
- Phulkari: Sheebamadanloewinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hindu wedding: Dinesh Cyanam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Akhand Path: William John Howship (1874–1932), Public domain, source
- Saptapadi: Bhumish143, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tribal youth dormitory: Aravind Manickam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Weddings in India: Psoni2402, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bengali Hindu wedding: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kiribath: AntanO, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sindoor: Masum-al-hasan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Political marriages in India: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Svayamvara: Nandalal Bose, Public domain, source
- Head shaving in Hinduism: Napoleon is back, CC0, source
- Pumsavana: Amolnaik3k, Public domain, source
- First haircut: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Divja: Govenkarpriyanka, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Antam Sanskar: John Hill, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mayian: Rakzika, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Weddings in India: Jaisingh Rathore, CC BY 2.5, source
- Vadhu Pravesha: Shounak Ray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Prathamastami: Swetabiswal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Punjabi wedding traditions: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Tulasi Vivaha: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- Yajna: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shraddha: Billjones94, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gaye holud: Arr4, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Upanayana: vinodbahal, CC BY 2.0, source
- Traditional Newar clothing: Uray1130, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mangalasutra: Ackroydman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Anand Karaj: Ashish 100, CC BY 2.0, source
- Indian wedding invitation: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
- Wedding dress: Statens historiska museer, CC BY 2.5, source
- Poruwa ceremony: A Derivative Work by MediaJet ,, CC BY 2.0, source
- Shagorana: Caped CrusaderK, CC0, source
- Pakistani wedding: Rukhsana iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Puja: Sakkhar21, CC BY-SA 4.0, source