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EveryParampara

Traditions beginning with K

142 traditions under K.

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🇲🇾 Penampang, MalaysiaKaamatanTadau Kaamatan An annual May harvest celebration of thanksgiving and community across Sabah, MalaysiaSeasonal 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKabaddi A fast South Asian contact sport where solo raiders tag defenders on a single breathGame 🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreKaddishקַדִּישׁ A Jewish hymn of sanctification recited during prayer services and mourning rituals.Spiritual 🇯🇵 JapanKadomatsu門松 A Japanese New Year gateway decoration of pine and bamboo where a visiting deity can restSeasonal 🇯🇵 Hiroshima, JapanKagura神楽 A sacred Shinto dance tradition in Japan that invites deities to descend and perform through human dancers.Performance 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreKailash Mansarovar Yatraकैलाश मानसरोवर यात्रा (Hindi); ཀཱའི་ལ་ཤ་མན་ས་རོ་ཝར་ཡ་ཏྲ། (Tibetan) A high-altitude pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in TibetSpiritual 🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanKaiseki懐石 A multi-course Japanese dining tradition shaped by tea ceremonies and the seasonsTable custom · Dinner 🇹🇷 Edirne, TurkeyKakava A Romani night by the river in Edirne: bonfire, candles and pilafFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇬🇷 GreeceKalanta ChristougenonΚάλαντα Χριστουγέννων A Greek Christmas carol, sung around the feast with triangle and guitarPerformance 🇫🇮 Helsinki, FinlandKalevala DayKalevalan päivä A Finnish national flag day celebrating the country's epic poetry and living artsCeremony 🇮🇳 Kolkata, India and 1 moreKali Pujaকালীপূজা A Hindu festival of midnight worship and illuminated shrines honoring the goddess KaliSpiritual 🇪🇬 EgyptKallawtahكلوتة A rounded Turkic cap worn in the medieval Middle East, its colour set in Mamluk EgyptDress 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreKallikantzarosκαλικάντζαρος A malevolent goblin of Greek and Balkan folklore, active in the Christmas season.Folklore 🇹🇷 Turkey and 3 moreKalpak A tall cap of Turkic peoples, thick for winter and wide and light for summerDress 🇳🇿 Wellington, New ZealandKa Mate A Māori haka of life and survival, composed by Te Rauparaha and performed by New Zealand teams.Performance 🇮🇳 IndiaKambala An annual traditional buffalo race across muddy paddy fields in southwestern IndiaGame 🇯🇵 JapanKamifūsen紙風船 Japanese paper balloons enjoyed as self-inflating toys, gifts and festival lanternsGame 🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanKanda Matsuri神田祭 A major Shinto festival with massive parades through the streets of central TokyoFestival 🇹🇷 TurkeyKandilقنديل Five holy nights marked by illuminated minarets and prayers in Turkey and the BalkansSpiritual · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaKandyan danceඋඩරට නැටුම් The sacred dance of Sri Lanka's hill country, kept in temple and on the stagePerformance 🇹🇿 Tanzania and 4 moreKanga A colourful printed cotton wrap bearing proverbs, worn across East AfricaDress 🇦🇱 Albania and 1 moreKanunKanû Albanian customary law kept by word of mouth, centred on honour and the given wordEtiquette 🇳🇿 Rotorua, New ZealandKapa haka Māori group song and dance, from tribal and school groups to the national stagePerformance 🇮🇳 IndiaKaradaiyan Nonbuகாரடையான் நோன்பு A Tamil Hindu festival where women fast and pray for the long life of their husbands.Festival · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇹🇷 Bursa, Turkey and 5 moreKaragöz and Hacivat A Turkish shadow play of two quarrelling friends, acted on a lit screen behind a curtainPerformance 🇳🇿 New ZealandKarakia Māori incantations and prayers recited for spiritual guidance, safety and ceremonySpiritual 🇹🇷 TurkeyKarakucakKarakucak Güreşi Turkish wrestling on grass, in baggy trousers, with oiling forbiddenGame 🇮🇳 New Delhi, IndiaKargil Vijay Diwas An annual Indian observance honouring soldiers and the end of the Kargil War.Ceremony 🇮🇳 Tiruvannamalai, India and 1 moreKarthika DeepamKārtikai Tīpam A Tamil and Malayali Hindu festival of lights honouring Shiva, Kartikeya and ParvatiSpiritual · Sweets given and shared 🇮🇳 Varanasi, India and 2 moreKartika Purnimaकार्त्तिकपूर्णिमा (Kārttikapūrṇimā) A full moon festival of lights and holy baths celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains across South Asia.Festival 🇯🇵 Ōmuta, JapanKarutaかるた Japanese playing cards from the 16th century, still raced over poems each New YearGame 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKarva Chauthकरकचतुर्थी A fasting festival kept by married women in North India and Nepal for the safety of their husbands.Festival 🇧🇮 Gitega, BurundiKaryenda A sacred drum of Burundi that symbolized the monarchy and announced royal events.Performance 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKasayaकाषाय The traditional patchwork robes worn by ordained Buddhist monasticsDress 🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreKashrutכַּשְׁרוּת (Hebrew) The Jewish dietary laws: what may be eaten, and how it is preparedTable custom 🇬🇧 East Kilbride, United KingdomKate Dalrymple A traditional Scottish reel and comic Scots song about a muirland spinsterPerformance 🇮🇳 IndiaKathaकथा (Hindi/Sanskrit), கதை (Tamil) A traditional Indian practice of religious storytelling and scriptural commentary, kept across Hindu and Sikh communitieSpiritual 🇮🇳 Lucknow, India and 1 moreKathak A north Indian classical dance of stories, footwork and spins, from temples and courtsPerformance 🇮🇳 Trivandrum, IndiaKathakaliകഥകളി A classical dance-drama from Kerala featuring elaborate makeup and costumes to tell epic stories.Performance 🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKathina A Buddhist season of offering new robes and gifts to monks after the rains retreatSpiritual 🇬🇷 GreeceKausiaκαυσία A flat hat of ancient Macedonia, worn by kings and later as sun cover in RomeDress 🇮🇳 Palani, India and 5 moreKavadi Aattamகாவடி ஆட்டம் Tamil devotees of Murugan carry burdens as a vow during ThaipusamSpiritual 🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, Indonesia and 4 moreKebayaꦏꦼꦧꦪ A front-opening blouse and wrapped cloth, worn by women across Southeast AsiaDress 🇮🇩 Uluwatu, IndonesiaKecakᬓᬾᬘᬓ᭄ (Balinese), Tari Kecak (Indonesian) A circle of men chanting chak as they dance the Ramayana epic in BaliPerformance 🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreKeeningCaoineadh A sung mourning cry at Gaelic funerals, once led by hired women singersRite of passage 🇵🇸 Palestine and 5 moreKeffiyehكُوفِيَّة (kūfīyah) A square cotton headscarf worn by men in arid parts of the Middle East and North AfricaDress 🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanKendo剣道 A Japanese martial art of swordsmanship using bamboo swords and protective armourGame 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreKenduri A communal prayer meal and gathering shared across Indonesia, Malaysia and BruneiSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇬🇭 Bonwire, Ghana and 1 moreKente clothNwentoma Hand-woven Ghanaian cloth of silk and cotton strips, worn for ceremonies and graduationsDress 🇮🇳 Thrissur, IndiaKerala mural painting Frescoes of Hindu deities painted on temple and palace walls in Kerala, India.Performance 🇸🇷 Paramaribo, Suriname and 1 moreKetikotiKeti Koti An annual Emancipation Day marking the end of slavery in Suriname and the NetherlandsFestival 🇧🇼 Botswana and 2 moreKgotla A village meeting and customary court in Botswana, led by the chiefCeremony 🇸🇾 Syria and 6 moreKha b'Nisanܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ A spring new year on 1 April, kept with parades, poems and dancing by AssyriansFestival 🇦🇲 Yerevan, Armenia and 5 moreKhachkarխաչքար A carved stone cross raised as a memorial, a grave marker and a prayer in stoneCraft 🇮🇷 IranKhāne-takānīخانه‌تکانی A spring cleaning ritual in Iran that prepares homes for the Norouz new year.Festival 🇴🇲 Salalah, Oman and 3 moreKhareefخَرِيْف The monsoon season of Dhofar and Al Mahrah, welcomed with a festival in SalalahSeasonal 🇮🇷 Shiraz, Iran and 1 moreKhatamخاتم A Persian inlay craft that builds geometric patterns from thousands of tiny cut piecesCraft 🇰🇭 Longvek, Cambodia and 2 moreKhmer traditional clothing How Khmer people dress: the wrapped sampot, the embroidered sbai, the checkered kramaDress 🇷🇺 Khokhloma, RussiaKhokhlomaхохлома Russian folk painting of red, black and gold flowers and berries on wooden tablewareCraft 🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreKhordad Salخرداد روز A Zoroastrian festival marking the birth of the prophet Zarathushtra with prayers and feasts.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreKhorovodхоровод A Slavic circle dance with singing, danced with linked hands or little fingersPerformance 🇹🇭 ThailandKhruiครุย A sheer ceremonial robe worn by Thai royalty and now as academic dress at universities.Dress 🇲🇱 Mali and 1 moreKhumsخُمْس The Islamic practice of giving a one-fifth share of certain wealth to designated causesSpiritual 🇮🇱 IsraelKiddushקידוש A blessing over wine or grape juice that marks Shabbat and festivals as holySpiritual · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreKiddush Levanahקידוש לבנה A Jewish ritual service held after the new moon to bless God for the lunar cycle and seek protection.Spiritual 🇩🇪 Kiel, GermanyKiel WeekKieler Woche A week of yacht racing, tall ships and waterfront music on the Kiel FjordGame 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreKiltfèileadh A pleated knee-length skirt in tartan wool, worn as Scottish Highland dressDress 🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanKimono着物 Japan's national dress: a wrapped robe with square sleeves, tied with a wide sashDress 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreKingdomtide An autumn liturgical season focusing on Christ's reign in heaven and on earthSpiritual 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsKing's DayKoningsdag A Dutch national holiday celebrating the monarch's birthday with street markets and orange attire.Festival 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreKing's Official Birthday A day when Commonwealth realms mark the monarch's birthday, seldom the real dateCeremony 🇯🇵 JapanKintsugi金継ぎ Mending broken pottery with lacquer and gold, so the repair stays visibleCraft 🇧🇹 BhutanKiraདཀྱི་ར་ Bhutan's national dress for women, an ankle-length woven cloth wrapped and pinnedDress 🇱🇰 Sri LankaKiribathකිරිබත් Rice cooked in coconut milk, the dish of Sinhalese New Year and family beginningsTable custom · Breakfast 🇯🇵 JapanKirikane截金 A Japanese craft of cut gold, silver or platinum leaf for Buddhist statues and paintingsCraft 🇯🇵 Kishiwada, JapanKishiwada Danjiri Matsuri岸和田だんじり祭 A high-speed festival of wooden shrine floats pulled through Kishiwada, JapanFestival 🇰🇪 Kenya and 5 moreKitenge A printed cloth tied at the waist or chest, worn as a wrap, head cover or baby slingDress 🇦🇴 Luanda, Angola and 4 moreKizomba A close, slow couple dance from Angola, named after a Kimbundu word for partyPerformance 🇹🇷 Edirne, TurkeyKırkpınar A three-day Turkish oil wrestling contest near Edirne, held each June since 1360Game 🇭🇷 Omiš, CroatiaKlapa Unaccompanied harmony singing from Dalmatia, built by groups of friendsPerformance 🇺🇸 New York, United States and 5 moreKlezmerקלעזמער An Ashkenazi Jewish instrumental tradition of lively dance tunes and ritual melodiesPerformance 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreKnucklebones An ancient hand game of tossing, catching, and scooping small bones or stonesGame 🇦🇲 Armenia and 1 moreKochariՔոչարի A circle dance from the Armenian Highlands, danced at weddings and gatheringsPerformance 🇭🇺 Miskolc, HungaryKocsonya FestivalKocsonyafesztivál An annual winter food and culture festival held in Miskolc, HungaryFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇳🇬 Kano, NigeriaKofar Mata Dye Pits Hand-dyed indigo cloth from centuries-old earthen pits in the heart of KanoCraft 🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanKoinobori鯉のぼり Carp-shaped windsocks flown across Japan for Children's Day in springFestival 🇯🇵 JapanKokeshiこけし Hand-turned Japanese wooden dolls painted with floral designs and slender facesCraft 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKolamகோலம் A rice-flour floor drawing made at South Indian doorsteps before sunriseCraft 🇨🇻 Cape Verde and 1 moreKola San Jon A Cabo Verdean street festival of dance, drumming, and devotion to Saint JohnFestival 🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreKoledariколядники A Slavic winter caroling custom of visiting homes with songs, masks and blessingsFestival 🇮🇳 Kolhapur, IndiaKolhapuri chappal Handcrafted braided leather slip-on sandals from western IndiaCraft 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 7 moreKoliadaКоляда A traditional winter caroling and solstice festival kept across Slavic EuropeFestival 🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreKol Nidreכָּל נִדְרֵי An Aramaic declaration of vow annulment that opens the Yom Kippur evening service in Jewish synagogues.Spiritual 🇷🇸 Serbia and 3 moreKoloКоло A South Slavic circle dance of linked hands, kept at weddings and gatheringsPerformance 🇺🇦 Kolomyia, Ukraine and 4 moreKolomyikaКоломийка A quick Hutsul dance-song of comic rhymed verses, danced at weddings and holidaysPerformance 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsKoningsmantel The Dutch royal cloak of red velvet and ermine, brought out when a monarch is sworn inDress 🇧🇦 Konjic, Bosnia and HerzegovinaKonjic woodcarvingKonjičko drvorezbarstvo A traditional hand-carving craft shaping furniture and home ornaments in KonjicCraft 🇮🇳 IndiaKoodiyattamകൂടിയാട്ടം An ancient Sanskrit temple drama and dance tradition from Kerala, IndiaPerformance 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKoothu Tamil street theatre with dance, music and epic stories, staged at temple festivals.Performance 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreKopitiam A neighbourhood coffee shop where Southeast Asians share meals, drinks and newsTable custom · Breakfast 🇬🇲 Gambia and 4 moreKoraߞߐߙߊ A 21-string West African harp-lute played by hereditary storytellers and bardsPerformance 🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreKorean New Year설날 A three-day Korean festival celebrating the lunisolar new year with family and feastsSeasonal 🇰🇷 South KoreaKorean tea ceremony다례 (茶禮) Tea served in Korea as a rite of courtesy, now mostly grain and herbal brewsTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇰🇷 South KoreaKorean traditional funeral A multi-day ritual blending Confucian rites and shamanic practices to guide the deceased to the afterlife.Rite of passage 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreKorovaiкоровай (Ukrainian), каравай (Russian) A round wedding bread of Eastern Europe, baked with songs and shared by all the guestsTable custom · Feasts and festival meals 🇳🇿 New ZealandKoru A spiral from the silver fern, central to Māori carving, painting and tattooCraft 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreKoulourakiaΚουλουράκια Sweet butter pastries baked for Greek Easter and shaped into rings and braidsTable custom · Sweets given and shared 🇨🇳 ChinaKowtow叩頭 A traditional Chinese prostration of deep respect by kneeling and bowing to the groundEtiquette 🇧🇪 Geraardsbergen, BelgiumKrakelingen and Tonnekensbrand A bread throw and a hilltop bonfire that close the winter in GeraardsbergenFestival 🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandKrakowiak A lively Polish folk dance from Kraków that became a popular ballroom style across Europe.Performance 🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandKraków szopkaszopka krakowska Elaborate Christmas cribs modelled on historic Polish architecture in KrakówCraft 🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreKrampus Saint Nicholas's horned companion, who comes for misbehaving children on 5 DecemberFolklore 🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesKrewe Carnival clubs that stage parades, balls, and pageantry along the Gulf CoastFestival 🇮🇳 Mathura, India and 4 moreKrishna Janmashtamiकृष्णजन्माष्टमी A Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna with fasting, singing and night vigilsSpiritual 🇮🇳 Mathura, IndiaKrishna legends in Kathak The enactment of Krishna's sacred stories in Indian classical dancePerformance 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKuba textiles Elaborate raffia cloths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known for their complex geometric embroidery and velvCraft 🇮🇳 Kuchipudi, IndiaKuchipudi A classical dance-drama from Andhra Pradesh, with roots in temple and bhakti performance.Performance 🇦🇴 Luanda, Angola and 2 moreKuduro An energetic Angolan music and dance style born in Luanda that mixes African rhythms with electronic beats.Performance 🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 4 moreKukeriкукери (kukeri) Masked and belled figures who tour Bulgarian villages at New Year to drive off harmSpiritual 🇵🇱 Zakopane, PolandKulig A traditional Polish winter sleigh ride party celebrated during the Carnival seasonFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇿🇲 Lundazi, Zambia and 1 moreKulonga An annual harvest festival of thanksgiving celebrated by Tumbuka communitiesSeasonal 🇳🇵 Kathmandu, NepalKumariकुमारी A living goddess tradition in Nepal where a young girl embodies the divine feminine.Spiritual 🇮🇳 Haridwar, IndiaKumbh MelaKumbha Mēlā A major Hindu riverside pilgrimage held across four rotating holy cities in IndiaSpiritual 🇯🇵 Shuri, JapanKumi Odori組踊 (Okinawan: Kumi wudui) A narrative dance from Okinawa that blends East Asian styles to tell stories of Confucian virtue.Performance 🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreKumpo A palm-leaf figure of the Diola, danced at village festivals to urge good conductFolklore 🇧🇪 Brussels, BelgiumKunstenfestivaldesarts An annual May arts festival in Brussels, with theatre, dance, film and visual artPerformance 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 5 moreKupala Night A summer solstice folk festival marked by bonfires, water rituals and herbal gatherings across Eastern Europe.Festival 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan and 5 moreKurashкөрәш Central Asian traditional upright folk wrestling using cloth belts or towelsGame 🇮🇷 Urmia, IranKurdish danceGovend (گۆڤەند) Circle dances of the Kurds, led by handkerchief twirlers, for weddings and NewrozPerformance 🇸🇮 Ptuj, Slovenia and 1 moreKurentovanje A rite of spring and carnival in Ptuj with masked bell-ringers chasing winter awayFestival 🇮🇳 Lucknow, India and 5 moreKurtaکرته (Persian), कुरता (Hindi) A loose collarless tunic from South Asia, worn plain or embroidered over pyjamas or jeansDress 🇧🇼 D'Kar, BotswanaKuru Dance and Music Festival A gathering of San communities in Botswana to share songs, stories and sacred dancesPerformance 🇮🇸 IcelandKvæði Long narrative ballads sung during traditional chain dances in the Faroe IslandsPerformance 🇬🇪 Georgia and 2 moreKvevriქვევრი A buried clay jar, and the Georgian way of making wine inside itCraft 🇳🇬 NigeriaKwagh-Hir A Tiv puppet theatre and masquerade performance from central Nigeria that uses masks and marionettes to tell moral storiPerformance 🇺🇬 UgandaKwanjula A formal marriage introduction ritual of the Baganda people in Uganda, where families meet to exchange gifts and seek blRite of passage 🇺🇸 Chicago, United States and 4 moreKwanzaa A seven-day African American celebration of heritage, family and community valuesFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇷🇼 RwandaKwita Izina Rwanda's yearly ceremony naming newborn mountain gorillas, after a baby-naming customRite of passage 🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreKynodesmeκυνοδέσμη A cord ancient Greek athletes tied around the foreskin to stay modest in public.Dress 🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanKyōgen狂言 A traditional Japanese comic theatre of short farces, spoken dialogue and satirePerformance 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreKyūdō弓道 The Japanese martial art of archery, practiced with an asymmetrical longbowGame 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 1 moreKyz kuu A horse racing game where a man chases a woman to win a kiss or faces her whip if he fails.Game

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The weekly EveryParampara

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