Traditions beginning with N
92 traditions under N.
🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and 1 moreNaadamнаадам
A midsummer festival of wrestling, horse racing, and archery kept by Mongols in Mongolia and neighboring regions.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaNaam Karanਨਾਮ ਕਰਨ
A Sikh naming ceremony held at a Gurdwara to bless the child and choose their name.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Puri, IndiaNabakalebaraନବ କଳେବର (Navakalevara)
A rare ritual in Puri where the wooden idols of four Hindu deities are replaced with new carvings every twelve to nineteSpiritual
🇵🇸 Jericho, PalestineNabi Musaٱلنَّبِي مُوْسَى
An annual Palestinian Muslim pilgrimage and festival honoring the prophet MosesSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaNadiri
A sleeveless coat made for Mughal Emperor Jahangir and the courtiers he choseDress
🇲🇹 Nadur, MaltaNadur Carnival
An unscripted five-day costume festival filling the streets of Nadur before LentFestival
🇰🇵 Pyongyang, North Korea and 3 moreNaengmyeon냉면
Long buckwheat noodles in icy broth, born in North Korea and eaten most in summerTable custom · Dinner
🇹🇭 Phon Phisai, Thailand and 1 moreNaga fireballsบั้งไฟพญานาค (bang fai phaya nak)
A festival of glowing orbs rising from the Mekong River, attributed to a mythical serpent.Festival
🇮🇳 Varanasi, India and 1 moreNaga Panchamiनागपञ्चमी (Nāgapañcamī)
A day of worship for serpent deities and cobras, observed by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists across South Asia.Spiritual
🇰🇷 South Korea and 2 moreNajeonchilgi나전칠기
A Korean craft of inlaying mother-of-pearl onto lacquered wood to create decorative objects.Craft
🇻🇺 Port Vila, VanuatuNakamal
A traditional meeting house in Vanuatu for community gatherings and the drinking of kava.Ceremony · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreNakshi kanthaনকশি কাঁথা
A traditional embroidered quilt from Bengal, made by stitching layers of old cloth into colourful, patterned textiles.Craft
🇺🇸 United StatesNalukataq
A spring whaling festival of the Iñupiat in Northern Alaska, featuring a blanket toss and communal feast.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaNamakaranaनामकरणम्
A Hindu rite that gives a baby its name, kept in the days after a birthRite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaNamasteनमस्ते
A respectful greeting made with joined palms, spoken in South Asia and beyondEtiquette
🇰🇷 Jindo Island, South KoreaNamdo Field Songs남도 들노래
Farmers' choral work songs from South Jeolla, sung through the rice field yearPerformance
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreName day
A calendar tradition where people celebrate the feast day of the saint after whom they are named.Festival
🇸🇰 SlovakiaName days in SlovakiaMeniny
The Slovak tradition of celebrating personal name days alongside birthdaysSeasonal
🇨🇿 CzechiaName days in the Czech RepublicSvátek
A daily custom where people celebrate on the calendar date assigned to their given name.Seasonal
🇨🇳 Quanzhou, China and 5 moreNanguan南管
An introspective chamber music tradition from southern Fujian and Taiwan.Performance
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreNaraka Chaturdashi
The dawn festival of oil baths, ancestor lamps, and harvest foods during DiwaliFestival · Breakfast
🇮🇳 Ahobilam, IndiaNarasimha Jayantiनरसिंहजयंती
A one-day Hindu festival marking Vishnu's man-lion avatar and the rescue of PrahladaSpiritual
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkNatFilm Festival
An annual Danish cinema gathering held around Easter from 1990 to 2008Performance
🇦🇷 Villa General Belgrano, ArgentinaNational Beer Festival
An annual Bavarian-style folk and beer gathering in Villa General Belgrano, Argentina.Festival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNational costume of IndonesiaPakaian Nasional Indonesia
The formal attire worn by Indonesians to represent the nation's diverse cultural heritage.Dress
🇧🇫 Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina FasoNational Culture Week of Burkina Faso
A week of free shows and contests in Bobo-Dioulasso, held every two yearsFestival
🇸🇬 Singapore, SingaporeNational DayHari Kebangsaan Singapura
Singapore's annual civic holiday celebrating its national sovereignty on 9 AugustCeremony
🇨🇳 Beijing, ChinaNational Day国庆节 (guóqìng jié)
China's national day on 1 October, marking the republic's founding in 1949Ceremony
🇻🇳 Hanoi, VietnamNational DayNgày Quốc khánh
Vietnam's national day, marking the 1945 independence declaration read in HanoiCeremony
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreNational day of mourning
A day a government sets aside for national grief, often marked by flags at half-mastCeremony
🇸🇪 Stockholm, SwedenNational Day of SwedenSveriges nationaldag
A public holiday on 6 June marking the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523.Ceremony
🇸🇬 Singapore, SingaporeNational Day Parade
Singapore's annual independence day celebration of parades, music and fireworksCeremony
🇬🇧 Cardiff, United KingdomNational Eisteddfod of WalesEisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru
An annual week-long festival of Welsh music, poetry and culture held across different locations in Wales.Festival
🇨🇦 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
🇵🇱 Warsaw, PolandNational Independence DayNarodowe Święto Niepodległości
Poland's national day on 11 November, marking the 1918 return of a sovereign Polish stateCeremony
🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea and 1 moreNational Liberation Day of Korea광복절 (Gwangbokjeol)
A public holiday on 15 August marking Korea's liberation from Japanese rule in 1945Ceremony
🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesNational Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation
An annual White House ceremony in which the American president spares a holiday turkey.Ceremony
🇮🇳 IndiaNational Unity Dayराष्ट्रीय एकता दिवस
An annual Indian observance honouring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 31 OctoberCeremony
🇿🇦 Pretoria, South AfricaNational Women's Day
South Africa's public holiday on 9 August, remembering the women who marched in 1956Ceremony
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 5 moreNativity Fast
A forty-day Christian period of abstinence and prayer observed in preparation for Christmas.Spiritual
🇱🇹 Lithuania and 5 moreNativity of John the Baptist
A Christian feast day on June 24 that marks the birth of John the Baptist and anticipates Christmas.Festival
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreNativity of Mary
A Christian feast day honouring the birth of Mary, the mother of JesusSpiritual · Lunch
🇮🇹 Naples, Italy and 5 moreNativity scene
A seasonal set of figures showing Jesus's birth, put up by Christians at ChristmasFestival
🇲🇲 Bagan, MyanmarNat worshipနတ်
Veneration of guardian spirits and nature deities alongside Buddhism in MyanmarSpiritual
🇺🇸 New York, United StatesNavajo weavingdiyogí
Handwoven wool textiles and rugs made on continuous warps by Navajo artisansCraft
🇮🇳 Kolkata, India and 5 moreNavaratriनवरात्रि (Navarātri)
A nine-night Hindu festival honoring the goddess Durga and her nine forms through prayer, fasting, and dance.Festival · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreNavigium Isidis
An ancient Roman ship procession honouring Isis and the opening of sea travelSpiritual
🇺🇿 Bukhara, UzbekistanNavruzNavroʻz
The spring equinox festival celebrated across Uzbekistan with sumalak and family visits.Seasonal · Sweets given and shared
🇪🇬 Cairo, Egypt and 1 moreNayrouzالنيروز (Arabic); ⲡⲓⲭⲗⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ (Coptic)
A Coptic feast marking the new year and honoring martyrs, kept in Egypt and Ethiopia.Festival
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreNazarnazar boncuğu
A blue glass eye amulet worn and displayed to deflect the evil eye.Folklore
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreNazar battuनज़र बट्टू / نظر بٹو
A protective custom in South Asia using deliberate flaws or charms to deflect the evil eye.Spiritual
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreNeed-fire
A ritual fire kindled by friction to ward off cattle plague, disease and harmFolklore
🇲🇦 Tangier, MoroccoNegafaنڭافة (Arabic); ⵏⴳⴰⴼⴰ (Tamazight)
The woman who dresses a bride and guards the customs of a Moroccan weddingRite of passage
🇮🇳 Alappuzha, IndiaNehru Trophy Boat Race
An annual longboat race held on Punnamada Lake in Kerala, India.Festival
🇯🇵 JapanNemawashi根回し
The Japanese practice of building quiet consensus before an official decisionEtiquette
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreNewrozنەورۆز
A Kurdish spring festival and new year celebration marked by bonfires, dance, and the lighting of fires.Festival
🇳🇬 Abuja, NigeriaNew Yam FestivalIri ji
A yearly harvest thanksgiving across Nigeria, when the first new yams may be eatenFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNgaben
A Balinese Hindu cremation rite held to free the soul of the deadRite of passage
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 2 moreNgajatTanda Ngajat
A traditional folk dance of the Iban people in Sarawak and Borneo, mimicking birds and warriors.Performance
🇹🇿 Zanzibar, Tanzania and 1 moreNgalawa
A traditional double-outrigger sailing canoe of the Swahili coastCraft
🇧🇹 BhutanNgenpa Gudzomངན་པ་དགུ་འཛོམས
A Bhutanese day of pause and games during an inauspicious astrological periodSeasonal
🇮🇩 IndonesiaNgerorod
A Balinese Hindu way of marrying, where a couple wed by their own choiceRite of passage
🇨🇱 ChileNgillatun
A communal Mapuche rite of prayer, sacrifice and dance to maintain cosmic balanceSpiritual
🇨🇲 Douala, CameroonNgondo
An annual coastal water festival celebrated by the Sawa people in CameroonFestival
🇻🇳 Huế, VietnamNhã nhạcNhã nhạc (雅樂)
Vietnam's royal court music, played for palace rites from the Trần dynasty onwardPerformance
🇫🇷 Nice, FranceNice CarnivalCarnaval de Nice
A two-week winter festival of papier-mâché floats and flower battles in Nice, FranceFestival
🇹🇼 Taipei, TaiwanNight markets in Taiwan夜市
Street markets that open at sunset across Taiwan, selling snacks, drinks and goodsTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇧🇩 BangladeshNight of Powerليلة القدر
The night Muslims believe the Quran first came down, sought in Ramadan's last ten nightsSpiritual
🇲🇽 Oaxaca, MexicoNight of the RadishesNoche de Rábanos
An annual festival of intricate sculptures carved from oversized radishes in OaxacaCraft
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 2 moreNiqabنِقاب
A face veil worn by some Muslim women, hiding all but the eyesDress
🇮🇳 IndiaNirjala Ekadashiनिर्जला एकादशी
A rigorous, waterless Hindu fast observed in early summer to honour the god Vishnu.Spiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇩🇰 Denmark and 3 moreNissenisse (Danish, Norwegian); tomte (Swedish); tonttu (Finnish)
A small farm spirit of Nordic folklore, given porridge at midwinterFolklore
🇨🇬 Republic of the CongoNkisi
Spiritual vessels and figures crafted to channel ancestral power, healing and justiceSpiritual
🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada and 5 moreNo Bra Day
An annual October observance promoting breast cancer awareness and bodily autonomySeasonal
🇯🇵 JapanNōgaku能楽
A traditional Japanese theater form combining the lyric drama noh and the comic interludes kyōgen.Performance
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanNoh能 (Nō)
Japanese masked dance-drama, staged since the 14th century in family schoolsPerformance
🇻🇳 Huế, VietnamNón lá𥶄蘿
A pointed leaf and bamboo hat worn across Vietnam for shelter, work and celebrationDress
🇰🇷 South KoreaNorigae노리개
A Korean pendant of knots and tassels, worn with hanbok and kept for luckDress
🇺🇾 Montevideo, UruguayNostalgia NightNoche de la Nostalgia
Uruguay's nationwide retro music and dance celebration held every 24 AugustFestival
🇬🇧 London, United KingdomNotting Hill Carnival
An annual London street carnival celebrating British Caribbean culture and musicFestival
🇵🇭 Manila, Philippines and 5 moreNovena
A nine-day Christian prayer tradition for petitions, feasts, or mourning.Spiritual
🇦🇿 AzerbaijanNovruzNovruz Bayramı
The Azerbaijani spring equinox festival of bonfires, sweets and sprouted wheatSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇷🇺 Moscow, Russia and 5 moreNovy GodНовый Год
A secular winter celebration of decorated trees, family feasts and midnight giftsFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif, AfghanistanNowruzنوروز
The Afghan spring new year, celebrated with picnics, wheat pudding and dried fruit.Seasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Iran and 7 moreNowruzنوروز
The Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnicsSeasonal
🇮🇳 Sambalpur, IndiaNuakhai
An agricultural festival in Western Odisha welcoming the first rice of the seasonSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇬🇧 Orkney, United KingdomNuckelaveeknoggelvi
A horse-like sea demon of Orkney folklore, blamed for drought, plague and sick livestock.Folklore
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreNude wedding
A marriage ceremony where the couple and guests gather without clothingRite of passage
🇨🇲 Bafoussam, CameroonNyang Nyang FestivalNyan-Nyang
A four-month Bamileke harvest festival and initiation rite in western CameroonFestival
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceNyansapo Festival
A French festival celebrating Black feminism and empowering diasporic women.Festival
🇲🇼 Malawi and 3 moreNyau
A secret society and masked dance tradition of the Chewa people in Southern Africa.Spiritual
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaNyepiᬜᬾᬧᬶ
A Balinese Hindu day of silence, fasting and stillness marking the Saka new yearSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation: Trump White House Archived, Public domain, source
- Nativity Fast: User:LoKi, Public domain, source
- Naengmyeon: wjlee4284, CC BY 2.5, source
- Naadam: Chongkian, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National Day of Sweden: Bengt Nyman, CC BY 2.0, source
- Notting Hill Carnival: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, source
- Naga Panchami: No machine-readable author provided. Krish Dulal assumed (based on cop, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nyepi: Matt Croxson, Public domain, source
- Navaratri: Mukerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National Day: Brian Jeffery Beggerly, CC BY 2.0, source
- Novruz: Abutalub, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Ngondo: Photokadaffi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Navruz: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- Igbo New Yam Festival: Adimora chidinma, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Night markets in Taiwan: Henry M. Trotter, Public domain, source
- Negafa: Amine.elbahij, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Novy God: Евгений Самарин, CC BY 4.0, source
- National costume of Indonesia: President of Indonesia, Public domain, source
- Nadur Carnival: Thyes, Public domain, source
- Nice Carnival: Honeydew, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nowruz: Peretz Partensky, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Nabi Musa: Mujaddara, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Naraka Chaturdashi: India (Delhi Agra area), Public domain, source
- Night of the Radishes: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Namaste: Ms Sarah Welch, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nkisi: MiddleOfAfrica, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nuakhai: Mamata Padhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nabakalebara: Jitpattnaikpuri, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Navajo weaving: Don Graham, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ngillatun: Francisco Cavallo, Public domain, source
- Nat worship: Emily Khine, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Norigae: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- National Day Parade: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nón lá: Ratmanhme282020, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National day of mourning: Dudzislaw, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nalukataq: Floyd Davidson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nazar: Alev Akın, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nyau: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Niqab: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Naga fireballs: J A Forbes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nehru Trophy Boat Race: Varghesepunnamada, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nakshi kantha: A junaid alam khan ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Nakamal: Phillip Capper, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ngajat: Menuaibansarawak, CC0, source
- Nazar battu: Wiki-uk, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Name day: Sendker, Public domain, source
- Ngalawa: Zenith4237, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Najeonchilgi: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Novena: Catedrales e Iglesias/Cathedrals and Churches, CC BY 2.0, source
- Narasimha Jayanti: anonymous, Public domain, source
- Ngaben: by kibitan, CC BY 2.0, source
- Nativity scene: Yvonne Bentele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nhã nhạc: Lưu Ly ( thảo luận ), Public domain, source
- Nayrouz: Rafael Tuck & Sons, Ltd., CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Nisse: AlphaZeta, CC0, source
- Noh: Yoshiyuki Ito, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nadiri: Attributed to Abu al-Hasan (1589-1630), Public domain, source
- Newroz: Salar Arkan - سالار ارکان, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nuckelavee: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Night of Power: M sh شراونة محمد, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National Day: me ( w:User:pfctdayelise ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- National Independence Day: Patryk Matyjaszczyk, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- National Liberation Day of Korea: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- National Women's Day: K. Kendall, CC BY 2.0, source
- National Day: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nyang Nyang Festival: Zacharie Ngnogue, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- No Bra Day: Ralf Roletschek, GFDL, source
- Nativity of Mary: Giotto, Public domain, source
- Nativity of John the Baptist: Brakeet, CC0, source
- Need-fire: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nirjala Ekadashi: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Navigium Isidis: ArchaiOptix, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- National Beer Festival: Jmmuguerza, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nanguan: Jnzl's Public Domain Photos, Public domain, source
- Nōgaku: Daderot, CC0, source
- Nude wedding: Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, source