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ArtsTwo weekends of Oktoberfest fun begin tonight at American German ClubArtsTwo weekends of Oktoberfest fun begin tonight at American German ClubArtsOur Delaware Cultural Festival 2026SeasonsWeekly roundup: Hicks Canyon Elementary students celebrate language and culture during Mid-Autumn FestivalTableExclusive | Fuggedabout Little Italy! NYC’s hidden Italian enclaves are the real deal — from antipasto to zeppoleHoly daysBigger & Better Than Ever: Laxmi & Chef Kunal Kapur Return With ‘Diwali Delights’ Season 2Holy daysAIA’s Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka 2026 To Bring Indian Cultural Celebrations To CaliforniaHoly daysAssociation of Indo Americans Hosts Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka 2026 in PleasantonWeddingsA love story across continents ends in a packed Vietnamese village weddingCarnivalCelebrate Native American Day in Tulsa with concert, parade and moreArtsTwo weekends of Oktoberfest fun begin tonight at American German ClubArtsTwo weekends of Oktoberfest fun begin tonight at American German ClubArtsOur Delaware Cultural Festival 2026SeasonsWeekly roundup: Hicks Canyon Elementary students celebrate language and culture during Mid-Autumn FestivalTableExclusive | Fuggedabout Little Italy! NYC’s hidden Italian enclaves are the real deal — from antipasto to zeppoleHoly daysBigger & Better Than Ever: Laxmi & Chef Kunal Kapur Return With ‘Diwali Delights’ Season 2Holy daysAIA’s Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka 2026 To Bring Indian Cultural Celebrations To CaliforniaHoly daysAssociation of Indo Americans Hosts Dussehra Diwali Dhamaka 2026 in PleasantonWeddingsA love story across continents ends in a packed Vietnamese village weddingCarnivalCelebrate Native American Day in Tulsa with concert, parade and more
EveryParampara

Traditions beginning with S

203 traditions under S.

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🇪🇪 Kuressaare, EstoniaSaaremaa Opera FestivalSaaremaa ooperipäevad An annual opera festival in Kuressaare, Estonia, featuring international performances.Performance 🇷🇺 Kazan, Russia and 2 moreSabantuyСабан туе (Saban tuyı) A summer festival of folk sports and feasting celebrated by Tatar, Bashkir, Chuvash, and Kazakh communities.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreSabar A traditional Wolof and Serer drum played in Senegal and The Gambia, accompanying dance at weddings and festivals.Performance 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSaber arch A wedding custom where sabers form an arch for the couple to walk through.Rite of passage 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSack Man A widespread folklore figure who carries a sack to take away disobedient childrenFolklore 🇮🇳 Delhi, IndiaSacred groves of India Communal forest sanctuaries across India where religious belief protects biodiversity and local resources.Spiritual 🇮🇷 Yazd, Iran and 1 moreSadehسده An ancient midwinter festival of fire, light, and the approach of springFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 IndiaSadyaസദ്യ A vegetarian feast from Kerala, served on a banana leaf at Onam, Vishu and weddingsTable custom · Lunch 🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi ArabiaSa'eeالسعي The ritual walk between the twin hills of Safa and Marwa during Islamic pilgrimageSpiritual 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreSaffron bun A golden, spiced yeast roll flavoured with saffron, baked for festive and holy daysTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇹🇳 Tunis, TunisiaSafseriسفساري A cream cloth wrapped around a woman's whole body, worn by Tunisian women for modestyDress 🇮🇳 IndiaSahasra Purna Chandrodayamसहस्र-(पूर्ण)चन्द्र-दर्शन A Hindu rite marking a person's thousandth full moon, celebrated around age eighty-one.Rite of passage 🇬🇧 St Andrews, United Kingdom and 7 moreSaint Andrew's DayLà Naomh Anndrais The feast of Andrew the Apostle, kept on 30 November and Scotland's national daySpiritual 🇱🇹 Vilnius, Lithuania and 3 moreSaint Casimir's FairKaziuko mugė A spring craft market and folk celebration across the historic streets of VilniusCraft 🇬🇧 Cardiff, United Kingdom and 1 moreSaint David's DayDydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant The national feast day of Wales, marked with parades, poetry contests and daffodilsFestival 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreSaint George's Day A saint's feast on 23 April, kept by churches and patron nations from England to GeorgiaSpiritual 🇨🇦 CanadaSaint-Jean-Baptiste DayFête nationale du Québec An annual civic and cultural celebration observed across Quebec every June 24Ceremony 🇱🇹 LithuaniaSaint Jonas's FestivalJoninės A Lithuanian midsummer night of bonfires, wreaths, song and morning dewSeasonal 🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 7 moreSaint Joseph's Day A 19 March feast honouring Jesus' earthly father, kept with altars and processionsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇸🇪 Sweden and 2 moreSaint Knut's DayTjugondag Knut A Nordic holiday marking the twentieth and final day of Christmas each JanuarySeasonal · Sweets given and shared 🇸🇪 Stockholm, Sweden and 4 moreSaint Lucy's Day A December festival of light and song held across Scandinavia and Italy to honour a Christian martyr.Festival · Breakfast 🇧🇪 Belgium and 5 moreSaint Nicholas Day The feast day of Saint Nicholas, kept in Advent with gifts, shoes and church servicesSpiritual 🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreSaint Patrick's DayLá Fhéile Pádraig An annual Irish holiday of parades, church services, green dress and shamrocksFestival 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSaint Patrick's Day in the United States An annual celebration of Irish heritage across America with parades, feasts and green dyeFestival · Dinner 🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreSaint Stephen's Day A Christian feast day celebrating the first martyr with feasts, rides and folk customs.Spiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreSaint Sylvester's Day A Christian feast day and year-end celebration marked across Europe and beyondSeasonal · Dinner 🇺🇸 New York, United States and 2 moreSalsa A lively Latin partner dance rooted in Afro-Caribbean rhythms and social dance traditionsPerformance 🇵🇹 Portugal and 3 moreSalting the earth An ancient ritual of scattering salt over ruined ground to curse its future useFolklore 🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreSamaSema (Turkish); سَماع (Persian) A Sufi rite of listening, music and turning, kept by Mevlevi and other Sufi ordersSpiritual 🇮🇷 Ashtian, Iran and 5 moreSamanuسمنو A sweet sprouted-wheat paste stirred through the night for NowruzTable custom · Sweets given and shared 🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreSamhain A Gaelic festival marking the start of winter with bonfires and ancestor feastsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇷🇺 Tula, Russia and 3 moreSamovarсамовар A heated urn that brews tea for a slow, sociable pour, from Russia to Iran and KashmirTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇲🇾 Malacca, Malaysia and 4 moreSampingسمڤيڠ A traditional Malay waist cloth worn over festive attire in Southeast AsiaDress 🇰🇭 Cambodia and 2 moreSampotសំពត់ A length of cloth wrapped at the waist, the everyday and ceremonial dress of CambodiaDress 🇻🇺 VanuatuSand drawingsandroing One unbroken line drawn in sand with a finger, used to tell stories in VanuatuCraft 🇲🇲 Mandalay, Myanmar and 2 moreSand pagodaသဲပုံစေတီ (Burmese), พระเจดีย์ทราย (Thai) Temporary sand or mud structures built by Theravada Buddhists to cultivate merit and honor the Buddha.Spiritual 🇨🇳 ChinaSanfutie三伏贴 A seasonal Chinese medicine practice applying herbal patches during peak summer heatSeasonal 🇳🇬 Oyo, Nigeria and 3 moreSango Festival An annual Yoruba gathering in Nigeria honoring the deity of thunder and lightningFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanSanja Matsuri三社祭 A loud three-day Shinto festival in Tokyo honoring the founders of Sensō-ji temple.Festival 🇮🇳 IndiaSanjhi Autumn devotion honoring a mother goddess and sacred floor art of Radha and KrishnaSpiritual 🇨🇳 ChinaSankeng三坑 Chinese slang for three dress styles young fans wear, and the money they takeDress 🇱🇰 Sri LankaSanni Yakuma A Sinhalese rite where masked dancers summon eighteen illness demons and banish themSpiritual 🇯🇵 Sapporo, JapanSapporo Snow Festival札幌雪祭り (Sapporo Yuki-matsuri) A week-long winter festival in Sapporo featuring hundreds of large snow and ice sculptures.Festival 🇮🇳 IndiaSaptapadiसप्तपदी (Sanskrit), सात फेरे (Marathi) The seven-step ritual that finalizes a Hindu marriage, observed across India.Rite of passage 🇷🇺 RussiaSarafanсарафа́н A long, flared Russian dress, the everyday wear of peasant women for centuriesDress 🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain and 1 moreSardana A Catalan circle dance, danced hand in hand to an eleven-player cobla bandPerformance 🇮🇳 IndiaSarhul A spring new year festival honoring nature and Sal blossoms across JharkhandSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSariसाड़ी An unstitched length of cloth that women drape around the body, worn across South AsiaDress 🇮🇳 IndiaSatsangसत्सङ्ग Sitting in the company of truth, to hear, sing and meditate in northern IndiaSpiritual 🇮🇳 IndiaSattriya A classical dance from Assam, kept in monasteries and performed on stages worldwidePerformance 🇮🇹 Rome, ItalySaturnalia A December festival of ancient Rome, with feasting, gifts, gambling and role reversalSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaSaudi National Dayاليوم الوطني السعودي An annual public holiday in Saudi Arabia marking the 1932 unification of the kingdom.Ceremony 🇹🇿 Zanzibar, TanzaniaSauti za Busara A February meeting of musicians in Zanzibar's Old FortPerformance 🇲🇬 Antananarivo, MadagascarSavika Traditional Betsileo zebu wrestling and courtship rite in MadagascarGame 🇲🇽 Huamantla, Mexico and 4 moreSawdust carpettapete de aserrín Colored sawdust designs laid on streets to greet religious processions in Latin America and beyond.Festival 🇷🇺 RussiaScarlet SailsАлые паруса A summer graduation celebration on the Neva River in Saint PetersburgFestival 🇨🇭 Basel, Switzerland and 4 moreScheibenschlagen A Central European custom where glowing wooden disks are flung from hillsides into valleys at dusk.Festival 🇱🇺 Luxembourg City, LuxembourgSchueberfouer An annual late-summer funfair and historic fair held in Luxembourg CityFestival 🇩🇪 Munich, Germany and 3 moreSchuhplattler An Alpine folk dance of stomps, claps and flat-hand slaps on shoes, knees and thighsPerformance 🇨🇭 SwitzerlandSchwingen A traditional Swiss folk wrestling style fought in sawdust ringsGame 🇮🇹 Florence, ItalyScoppio del Carro An Easter Sunday fireworks display ignited by a flying dove in FlorenceFestival 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreScottish folk music Traditional ballads, fiddle tunes and bagpipe melodies from Scotland and its diasporaPerformance 🇮🇪 Galway, IrelandSeachtain na Gaeilge Seventeen days of Irish-language events, from 1 March to St Patrick's DayFestival 🇨🇳 Shanghai, ChinaSeal carving篆刻 The Chinese craft of engraving characters and personal emblems into stone stamping sealsCraft 🇮🇪 Ros Muc, Ireland and 2 moreSean-nós dancedamhsa ar an sean nós An improvised solo Irish dance: low footwork, free arms and a loud battering beatPerformance 🇮🇪 Waterford, IrelandSean-nós singingSean-nós An unaccompanied, highly ornamented style of traditional Irish folk singingPerformance 🇩🇿 Djanet, Algeria and 1 moreSebibaسبيبة (Arabic), ⵙⴱⵉⴱⴰ (Tifinagh) A Tuareg festival and dance in the Algerian Sahara marking the Islamic New Year and Ashura.Festival 🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSechseläutenSächsilüüte Zurich's spring festival marked by guild parades and the burning of a snowman effigySeasonal 🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesSecond line A New Orleans parade where clubs march and a crowd dances along behind the bandFestival 🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreSecular coming-of-age ceremony A non-religious rite of passage for adolescents in Europe and North America, marking the transition to adulthood throughRite of passage 🇪🇬 Thebes, EgyptSed festivalḥb-sd An ancient Egyptian royal jubilee marking thirty years of a pharaoh's ruleCeremony 🇲🇺 Mauritius and 3 moreSegaséga A music and dance tradition from Mauritius and Réunion with Afro-Malagasy roots.Performance 🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreSeharane A Kurdish Jewish festival of campfires, circle dances and shared foodFestival 🇮🇩 Yogyakarta, IndonesiaSekatenꦱꦼꦏꦠꦺꦤ꧀ A week-long Javanese royal festival and market honouring the birth of the ProphetFestival 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreSelkieselkie fowk The seal shapeshifters of Scottish and northern island folkloreFolklore 🇦🇴 AngolaSemba A traditional style of music and partner dance from AngolaPerformance 🇸🇳 Dakar, Senegal and 1 moreSenegalese wrestlingLaamb (Wolof), Njom (Serer) A striking folk wrestling sport from Senegal that blends combat with oral poetry and music.Game 🇧🇿 BelizeSeptember Celebrations Belize's two national holidays, eleven days apart, marked by parades and CarnivalCeremony 🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreSerbian ChristmasБожић A three-day midwinter observance focused on oak logs, floor straw and family gatheringsSpiritual · Dinner 🇷🇸 Belgrade, Serbia and 5 moreSerbian traditional clothingсрпска народна ношња (srpska narodna nošnja) The regional folk attire of Serbs, featuring wool, linen, and leather, worn for celebrations and cultural identity.Dress 🇪🇪 EstoniaSeto leeloleelo Polyphonic folk singing of the Setos, led by women in traditional dressPerformance 🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanSetsubun節分 A Japanese ritual of throwing roasted soybeans to banish evil spirits and welcome spring.Festival · Feasts and festival meals 🇩🇪 GermanySeven Sleepers' DaySiebenschläfertag A German feast day on June 27 where the weather predicts the next seven weeks of summer.Seasonal 🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSevillanas A folk dance and song from Seville, kept at fairs and festivals across Andalusia.Performance 🇪🇸 Seville, SpainSeville FairFeria de Abril de Sevilla A week-long spring festival in Seville of carriage parades, marquee tents and dancingFestival · Dinner 🇮🇶 IraqShabbat mealsסעודות שבת Three ritual meals eaten across the Jewish Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday nightTable custom · Dinner 🇮🇱 IsraelShabbatonשבתון A Jewish communal retreat or educational program centered on ShabbatSpiritual 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreShadow play A storytelling art using flat puppets and light to cast moving silhouettes on a screen.Performance 🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and 1 moreShagaiшагай Traditional ankle bone games and fortune-telling played across Central Asia.Game 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreShagoranaসাগরানা A ceremonial wedding feast platter presented to the groom in BangladeshTable custom · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇱 Safed, IsraelShalom Aleichemשָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם A traditional song sung on Friday night to welcome Sabbath angels into the homeSpiritual 🇵🇰 Multan, Pakistan and 3 moreShalwar kameez Loose trousers and a long tunic, worn as one outfit across South AsiaDress 🇪🇬 Cairo, EgyptSham Ennessimشم النسيم An Egyptian spring festival of picnics, salted fish, green onions and painted eggsSeasonal 🇮🇪 Dublin, IrelandShamrockseamróg A small three-leaved clover, worn in Ireland on St Patrick's Day as a national emblemFolklore 🇵🇰 PakistanShandur Polo Festivalشندور چوگان میلہ A three-day mountain polo competition played with freestyle rules in northern PakistanGame 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSharad Purnima A Hindu autumn full moon festival of night vigils, moonlit sweets and sacred dancesSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇺🇿 Bukhara, Uzbekistan and 2 moreShashmaqamШашмақом A classical song cycle of Central Asia, built on six modes and Sufi love poetryPerformance 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelShavuotשבועות A late-spring Jewish festival of the wheat harvest and the giving of the TorahSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇳 IndiaSheetala Ashtami A day for the goddess Shitala, kept eight days after Holi with food cooked in advanceSpiritual 🇮🇳 Goa, India and 2 moreShehnai A traditional reed instrument played at weddings and temple festivals across IndiaPerformance 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSheikh Zayed Festivalمهرجان الشيخ زايد An annual cultural and heritage festival held in Al Wathba, Abu DhabiFestival 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea and 5 moreShell money Traditional currency made from cowries, ground clam beads, and carved sea shellsCraft 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreShemini Atzeretשְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת The eighth day of assembly, kept right after Sukkot with a prayer for rainSpiritual 🇮🇳 Lucknow, India and 3 moreSherwani A long buttoned coat for men, worn at weddings and state occasions in South AsiaDress 🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShichi-Go-San七五三 A Japanese festival celebrating the growth of three-year-old girls, five-year-old boys, and seven-year-old girls.Rite of passage 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreShielingÀirigh Seasonal summer pasture living and traditional dairying in the Scottish hillsSeasonal 🇯🇵 JapanShikoku Pilgrimage四国遍路 A long circuit of 88 temples on Japan's Shikoku island, kept by pilgrims called henroSpiritual 🇿🇲 Maala, ZambiaShimunenga An annual Zambian celebration of cattle displays, dances, and ancestral memoryFestival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies 🇲🇲 Yangon, Myanmar and 1 moreShinbyuရှင်ပြု A Burmese Buddhist rite in which a boy goes forth as a novice monk, often at New YearRite of passage 🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShinto wedding神前結婚 A short purification ceremony before the kami, sealed by three cups of sakeRite of passage 🇨🇳 Lhasa, China and 2 moreSho Dun Festivalཞོ་སྟོན། (Tibetan), 雪頓節 (Chinese) A summer festival in Lhasa where a monks' retreat ends with yogurt and all-day operaFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreShoe throwing The act of hurling footwear for sport, wedding luck, protest or overhead display.Folklore 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreShofarשׁוֹפָר A ram's horn blown in synagogue to mark the Jewish new year and the end of Yom KippurSpiritual 🇯🇵 JapanShogi将棋 (shōgi) Japan's two-player strategy game, where captured pieces change sides and returnGame 🇮🇳 Gaya, India and 1 moreShraddhaश्राद्ध Rituals of faith for the ancestors, kept yearly and through Pitru PakshaSpiritual 🇧🇪 Oostduinkerke, BelgiumShrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke Fishers ride draft horses into the sea at Oostduinkerke to net brown shrimpCraft 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 1 moreShyrdakшырдак (Kyrgyz); сырмақ (Kazakh) A hand-stitched felt rug of contrasting colour, made by Kyrgyz and Kazakh familiesCraft 🇨🇳 Chengdu, China and 1 moreSichuan opera川劇 A Chinese opera from Sichuan, known for split-second mask changes and a central clownPerformance 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSiesta A short afternoon rest or sleep taken after the midday mealHome · Lunch 🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 2 moreSigdስግድ An Ethiopian Jewish holiday of covenant renewal, fasting, and longing for ZionSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇦🇹 Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria and 2 moreSilent NightStille Nacht, heilige Nacht A Christmas carol composed in Austria in 1818, now sung worldwide as a symbol of peace.Performance 🇵🇭 Manila, Philippines and 1 moreSimbang Gabi A nine-day series of early morning Masses held in the Philippines to prepare for Christmas.Festival 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Beit HaShoeivahשמחת בית השואבה Nightly music and dancing during the intermediate days of the festival of SukkotFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Torahשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה The day Jewish communities finish the Torah reading and start it again, with dancingSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey and 5 moreSimit A sesame-encrusted ring bread sold by street vendors across Turkey and the former Ottoman lands.Table custom · Breakfast 🇹🇼 TaiwanSimple Life Festival簡單生活節 A biennial cultural gathering in Taiwan featuring live music, markets and craftsFestival 🇰🇷 South KoreaSinawi시나위 An improvisational Korean musical style played for shamanic rituals.Performance 🇵🇰 PakistanSindhi Cultural Dayسنڌي ثقافتي ڏھاڙو An annual December celebration of Sindhi heritage, music, and traditional attireFestival 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSindoorसिंदूर A red powder worn in the hair parting by many married Hindu womenDress 🇮🇳 Kolkata, India and 1 moreSindur Khelaসিঁদুর খেলা A Bengali Hindu ritual where married women apply vermilion to each other on Vijayadashami.Festival 🇸🇬 Singapore, SingaporeSingapore International Festival of Arts A month of theatre, dance, music and visual art in Singapore each mid-yearPerformance 🇨🇳 Nanjing, China and 4 moreSingles' Day光棍节 A day for people without a partner that grew into the world's biggest shopping eventFestival 🇱🇰 Anuradhapura, Sri LankaSinhala New Yearඅලුත් අවුරුද්ද The April solar New Year and harvest festival celebrated across Sri LankaSeasonal 🇭🇷 Sinj, CroatiaSinjska Alka An annual jousting tournament in Sinj where galloping riders strike a hanging ringGame 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands and 4 moreSinterklaasSinterklaas / Sint-Nicolaas A Dutch winter feast on 5 and 6 December, when Saint Nicholas brings gifts to childrenFestival · Sweets given and shared 🇵🇭 Cebu City, Philippines and 4 moreSinulog Festival An annual Philippine dance festival and Catholic devotion honouring the Santo NiñoFestival 🇦🇪 Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesSir Bu Nair Festival An annual maritime gathering celebrating seafaring and island conservation in SharjahFestival 🇬🇷 Athens, Greece and 1 moreSirtakiσυρτάκι A Greek folk dance created for a 1964 film that blends slow and fast rhythms into a single performance.Performance 🇮🇳 Sambalpur, IndiaSitalsasthiଶୀତଳ ଷଷ୍ଠୀ A festival in western Odisha re-enacting the divine wedding of Shiva and ParvatiFestival 🇳🇪 Niger and 1 moreSitta min Shawwalستة من شوال A voluntary six-day Islamic fast observed during the month following RamadanSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreSiva Samoa A graceful Samoan dance marked by subtle, expressive arm and hand movementsPerformance 🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSizdah Bedarسیزده‌بدر An open-air picnic holiday concluding the Iranian New Year celebrationsFestival 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreSky burialབྱ་གཏོར་ (bya gtor) A Tibetan funeral in which the dead are laid out on a rock for vulturesRite of passage 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreSkyclad ritual A practice of performing Wiccan and Pagan rites without clothing to express truth and spiritual freedom.Spiritual 🇮🇩 IndonesiaSlametan A short communal meal on Java where neighbours share food, prayer and a wish for peaceSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇷🇸 SerbiaSlavaСлава An annual Serbian family feast honouring their patron saint with blessed bread and wineSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals 🇦🇺 AustraliaSmoking ceremonyNumbuk Yabbun An Aboriginal Australian ritual of burning native plants to cleanse, heal and welcomeSpiritual 🇸🇪 Stockholm, Sweden and 2 moreSmorgasbordsmörgåsbord A Swedish table of hot and cold dishes where guests serve themselvesTable custom · Lunch 🇹🇷 Ankara, TurkeySohbet meetingsGeleneksel Sohbet Toplantıları Men's gatherings of talk, music and food, kept in towns across TurkeyPerformance 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSohrai A harvest and cattle observance kept by indigenous communities in eastern IndiaSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇮🇪 IrelandSolemnitySolemnitas The highest rank of celebration in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendarSpiritual 🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreSølje A silver brooch from Norway, worn with the bunad or on its ownDress 🇮🇩 Palembang, Indonesia and 3 moreSongketᬲᭀᬂᬓᬾᬢ᭄ A hand-woven cloth threaded with gold or silver, worn at weddings and royal courtsDress 🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSongkranสงกรานต์ The three-day Thai New Year festival marked by water rituals and blessings for eldersFestival 🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandSongkranสงกรานต์ The Thai solar New Year marked by temple rites, elder blessings and water throwingSeasonal 🇦🇺 Sydney, AustraliaSongline A navigational and spiritual path across Australia that links ancestral stories to the physical landscape.Folklore 🇷🇴 RomaniaSorcova Children tap people with a flowered twig on New Year's morning, wishing health and luckSeasonal 🇵🇰 Karachi, Pakistan and 2 moreSouth Asian truck art The craft of painting and adorning cargo trucks and buses across India and Pakistan.Craft 🇿🇦 South Africa and 5 moreSouthern African traditional healing Ancestral divination, herbal muthi, and spiritual care across Southern AfricaSpiritual 🇬🇪 Tbilisi, GeorgiaSoviet Occupation Dayსაბჭოთა ოკუპაციის დღე Georgia's annual day of remembrance, held on 25 February for victims of Soviet ruleCeremony 🇬🇷 GreeceSparagmosσπαραγμός An ancient Greek Dionysian sacrificial rite of tearing an offering apartSpiritual 🇷🇺 Moscow, RussiaSpartakiad of the Peoples of the USSRСпартакиада народов СССР A massive multi-sport festival that brought together Soviet republics every four yearsGame 🇹🇭 Thailand and 7 moreSpirit house A small roofed shrine on a pillar, kept in homes and villages across Southeast Asia to honour protective spirits.Spiritual 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreStag and doe A Canadian fundraising party for an engaged couple, featuring games, food, and raffles to help pay for the wedding.Festival · Dinner 🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreStammtisch A weekly gathering of regulars at a reserved table in a pub or restaurant for conversation and community.Etiquette 🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada and 1 moreStar Wars Day An annual worldwide celebration of the Star Wars universe on May 4Festival 🇸🇮 SloveniaStatehood DayDan državnosti Slovenia's one-day public holiday on 25 June, marking the 1991 move to independenceCeremony 🇲🇪 MontenegroStatehood DayДан државности Montenegro's national holiday on 13 July, for 1878 recognition and the 1941 revoltCeremony 🇺🇸 Washington, United StatesState of the Union address The US president's yearly report to Congress and the nation, given in the House chamberCeremony 🇵🇸 Jerusalem, Palestine and 2 moreStations of the CrossVia Crucis A Christian prayer journey following fourteen moments of the Passion of JesusSpiritual 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreStatue rubbing A global custom of touching public statues to seek luck, love, or a return to the city.Festival 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago and 3 moreSteelpan A tuned percussion tradition forged from industrial steel containers in TrinidadPerformance 🇬🇧 United KingdomStirrup cup A farewell drink served to guests as they depart, often while mounting a horse.Etiquette 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSt John's Eve Bonfires, feasting and worship on the short night before John the Baptist's feastSpiritual 🇩🇪 Germany and 7 moreSt. Martin's DayMartinstag A November feast of lantern walks, bonfires, roast goose and new wineSpiritual 🇵🇱 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 🇺🇸 Raven's Roost, United StatesStomp dance A ceremonial night dance kept by Eastern Woodland tribes in the United States and Oklahoma.Performance · Dinner 🇩🇪 Aachen, Germany and 4 moreStraw bearStrohbär A carnival figure wrapped in straw, paraded through German towns to mark the end of winter.Festival 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreSufi whirling A Sufi meditation in which dervishes spin in circles to turn toward GodSpiritual 🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 5 moreSuhurسحور The pre-dawn meal Muslims eat before a day of fasting in RamadanTable custom · Breakfast 🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSukkahסוכה A temporary hut with a branch roof, lived in for the seven days of SukkotSpiritual 🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelSukkotסוכות A seven-day autumn Jewish festival of temporary booths, harvest prayers and hospitalitySpiritual 🇲🇪 Herceg Novi, MontenegroSunčane Skale A three-day summer pop music festival and song competition in MontenegroPerformance 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSun DanceWi-wayang-wa-c'i-pi A days-long dance of fasting and sacrifice among the Plains peoplesSpiritual 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, United StatesSuper Bowl The annual championship game of American professional football, held every February.Game 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSuper Bowl Sunday The day the NFL championship is played, kept with gatherings and buffet foodFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇬🇪 Tbilisi, GeorgiaSupraსუფრა A Georgian feast led by a toastmaster, where toasts, wine and food carry the mealTable custom · Feasts and festival meals 🇦🇺 Sydney, Australia and 5 moreSurf lifesaving A volunteer beach rescue and ocean sports tradition originating on Australian coasts.Game 🇸🇷 Suriname and 1 moreSuriPop A biennial songwriting festival and gala performance held in SurinamePerformance 🇧🇬 BulgariaSurvakaneСурвакане A Bulgarian New Year ritual where children tap family members with decorated branches to wish them health and prosperityFestival 🇮🇷 Susa, IranSusa weddings A mass royal wedding held in 324 BCE to unite Macedonian and Persian nobilityCeremony 🇮🇳 IndiaSvayamvaraस्वयंवर An ancient Indian noble assembly where a bride chose her husband among suitorsRite of passage 🇩🇪 Germany and 2 moreSwabian-Alemannic FastnachtFastnacht A late-winter carnival of masks and jesters kept before Lent in the Alemannic landsFestival 🇹🇿 Zanzibar City, Tanzania and 2 moreSwahili doorMlango wa Kiswahili A carved wooden entrance from the East African coast, adorned with metal studs and intricate motifs.Craft 🇬🇧 United KingdomSwan Upping An annual five-day royal census and health check of swans along the River ThamesCeremony 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreSweat lodge A purification ceremony kept by Indigenous peoples of the Americas using a heated hut and steam.Spiritual 🇸🇪 Stockholm, SwedenSweden Finns' Dayruotsinsuomalaisten päivä (Finnish); sverigefinnarnas dag (Swedish) An annual day in Sweden for the Sweden Finns, their language and their historyFestival 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSweet sixteen A North American coming-of-age celebration marking a sixteenth birthdayRite of passage 🇨🇭 Basel, Switzerland and 4 moreSwiss National DaySchweizer Bundesfeiertag Switzerland's annual national holiday, celebrated with bonfires, fireworks, and lanternsCeremony 🇨🇭 Zurich, SwitzerlandSwiss traditional costumeSchweizer Trachten Distinct regional festive dress worn across the cantons of SwitzerlandDress 🇦🇱 Albania and 5 moreSworn virginburrnesha A vow of chastity that lets a woman of the northern Balkans live as a manRite of passage 🇨🇳 ChinaSymbolic stars神煞 Helpful and harmful influences read from the Chinese calendar's stems and branchesFolklore 🇬🇷 GreeceSymposiumσυμπόσιον An ancient Greek post-meal gathering for diluted wine, debate, music and lively gamesTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies

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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.