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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.

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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
🇸🇴 SomaliaBuraanbur A traditional Somali poetic form composed by women, recited with drums and dance at weddings and gatherings.Performance 🇳🇪 Agadez, NigerAgadez Crosstanaghilt A silver pendant cast by Tuareg blacksmiths in Niger, worn as jewelry and a symbol of protection.Dress 🇿🇦 South Africa and 1 moreDay of the VowGeloftedag A religious public holiday in South Africa kept by Afrikaners to honour a vow made before the Battle of Blood River.Festival 🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreSabar A traditional Wolof and Serer drum played in Senegal and The Gambia, accompanying dance at weddings and festivals.Performance 🇳🇬 Enugu, NigeriaAtilogwu A high-energy Igbo youth dance featuring acrobatics, drum music and rhythmic jumps.Performance 🇿🇦 Johannesburg, South Africa and 1 moreLobolo A customary practice in Southern Africa where the groom's family provides assets to the bride's family.Rite of passage 🇱🇷 LiberiaDan maskgle or ge A sacred wooden mask worn by the Dan people of Liberia to embody forest spirits during masquerade.Spiritual 🇲🇱 MaliMahrمهر A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride in Islamic marriages, serving as her financial security.Rite of passage 🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreGadaa An eight-year democratic governance cycle practiced by the Oromo people of Ethiopia and Kenya.Ceremony 🇳🇪 In-Gall, Niger and 2 moreGuérewol A week-long courtship ritual where Wodaabe men dance and sing to win the attention of marriageable women.Festival 🇹🇿 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 🇲🇼 Malawi and 3 moreNyau A secret society and masked dance tradition of the Chewa people in Southern Africa.Spiritual 🇳🇬 Osogbo, NigeriaOsun-Osogbo FestivalOsun-Osogbo An annual Yoruba festival of cleansing, procession and sacrifice to the river goddess Osun in Osogbo, Nigeria.Festival 🇿🇦 South Africa and 1 moreIndlamu A Zulu war dance of two warriors in pelts, matched move for move and stamped on the beatPerformance 🇳🇬 NigeriaMmanwuMmanwụ An Igbo masquerade tradition invoking ancestral spirits through masked performanceSpiritual 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKuba textiles Elaborate raffia cloths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known for their complex geometric embroidery and velvCraft 🇳🇬 Calabar, NigeriaCalabar Carnival An annual December street festival and cultural gathering held in Calabar, NigeriaFestival 🇦🇴 AngolaSemba A traditional style of music and partner dance from AngolaPerformance 🇲🇬 Antananarivo, MadagascarHiragasyHira gasy A day-long Malagasy highland tradition of song, dance, and poetic speech competitionsPerformance 🇿🇼 ZimbabweBira ceremony An all-night Shona ritual in Zimbabwe where music and dance summon ancestral spirits for guidance.Spiritual 🇳🇬 Oyo, Nigeria and 1 moreEgungunEgúngún Yoruba ancestral masquerades bringing blessings, counsel and moral renewalSpiritual 🇲🇬 MadagascarValiha A bamboo tube zither from Madagascar, played for recreation and spirit ritualsPerformance 🇬🇭 Accra, GhanaFantasy coffinsAbebuu adekai Custom hand-carved burial caskets shaped as animals, tools and symbols in southern GhanaRite of passage 🇦🇴 Luanda, Angola and 2 moreKuduro An energetic Angolan music and dance style born in Luanda that mixes African rhythms with electronic beats.Performance 🇨🇮 Abidjan, Ivory Coast and 3 moreZouglou A dance-led music style from Ivory Coast, sung in street slang and local languagesPerformance 🇧🇯 Porto-Novo, Benin and 3 moreZangbeto A traditional security institution and night-guardian cult among the Ogu people of West Africa.Ceremony 🇲🇱 San, Mali and 1 moreBògòlanfinibɔgɔlanfini A handmade Malian cotton textile dyed with iron-rich mud, worn for protection and identity.Dress 🇳🇬 Onitsha, NigeriaAgbogho MmuoAgbọghọ Mmụọ An Igbo masked dance celebrating maidenhood and the female spiritPerformance 🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreKumpo A palm-leaf figure of the Diola, danced at village festivals to urge good conductFolklore 🇲🇿 Island of Mozambique, MozambiqueTufo A women's dance of northern Mozambique, performed at Islamic feasts to drums and songPerformance 🇺🇬 UgandaKwanjula A formal marriage introduction ritual of the Baganda people in Uganda, where families meet to exchange gifts and seek blRite of passage 🇦🇴 Luanda, Angola and 4 moreKizomba A close, slow couple dance from Angola, named after a Kimbundu word for partyPerformance 🇧🇮 Gitega, BurundiKaryenda A sacred drum of Burundi that symbolized the monarchy and announced royal events.Performance 🇱🇸 LesothoMokorotlo A conical straw hat that serves as the national symbol of Lesotho and a key element of Basotho traditional dress.Dress 🇬🇭 Ntɔnso, Ghana and 1 moreAdinkra symbols Symbols of the Akan people, stamped on cloth, each one carrying a proverbCraft 🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreEwe drumming The drum ensembles of the Ewe people, with iron bells, rattles and talking drumsPerformance 🇲🇱 Bamako, Mali and 5 moreGriotjeli, ߖߋ߬ߟߌ in N'Ko script West Africa's hereditary keepers of spoken history, praise and musicPerformance 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South AfricaGumboot danceIsicathulo A percussive South African dance born in the mines, performed in Wellington boots to communicate and celebrate.Performance 🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreAgbadza An Ewe music and dance, born of war songs and kept for funerals, weddings and festivalsPerformance 🇹🇿 Zanzibar, TanzaniaSauti za Busara A February meeting of musicians in Zanzibar's Old FortPerformance 🇸🇴 Somalia and 1 moreDhaanto A Somali folk dance and music style used for morale and celebration in the Horn of Africa.Performance 🇨🇬 Republic of the CongoNkisi Spiritual vessels and figures crafted to channel ancestral power, healing and justiceSpiritual 🇳🇪 In-Gall, NigerCure Salée A yearly gathering of Tuareg and Wodaabe nomads in In-Gall to mark the end of the rainy season.Festival 🇧🇼 Botswana and 2 moreKgotla A village meeting and customary court in Botswana, led by the chiefCeremony 🇲🇬 MadagascarFady A system of cultural taboos in Madagascar that regulate daily life and spiritual practice.Spiritual 🇬🇲 Gambia and 4 moreKoraߞߐߙߊ A 21-string West African harp-lute played by hereditary storytellers and bardsPerformance 🇳🇬 Ibadan, Nigeria and 1 moreYoruba naming ceremonyÌkòlọ́pọ̀ Orúkọ Yorùbá A rite of passage where a newborn receives a destiny name through divination and family celebration.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals 🇺🇬 Uganda and 4 moreBarkcloth Cloth beaten from tree bark across Africa, Asia and the PacificCraft
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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.