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
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreTamalada
A gathering where tamales are the main dish or a communal tamale-making party in Mexican and Hispanic cultures.Festival · Lunch
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreAlpanaআলপনা (Alpona)
A Bengali floor painting tradition using rice flour paste to mark festivals and rituals.Performance
🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 morePeʻa
The traditional Samoan rite of full-body tattooing for men, tapped by master artistsRite of passage
🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay
A traditional line and circle folk dance kept across Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Syria.Performance
🇱🇰 Colombo, Sri Lanka and 6 moreVesakVisakha Bucha (Thailand), Visakha Bouxa (Laos), Full Moon Day of Kason (Myanmar)
A day to honor the birth, awakening, and passing of the Buddha, kept by Buddhists across Asia.Festival
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreMid-Autumn Festival中秋節
An annual harvest festival celebrating family reunions, full moons and mooncakesFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelShavuotשבועות
A late-spring Jewish festival of the wheat harvest and the giving of the TorahSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaNamasteनमस्ते
A respectful greeting made with joined palms, spoken in South Asia and beyondEtiquette
🇫🇷 Paris, France and 5 moreBastille DayFête nationale française
France's national day marking the storming of the Bastille and the unity of the people on 14 July.Ceremony
🇯🇵 Kyoto, Japan and 4 moreHanami花見
A Japanese spring custom of gathering under blooming cherry trees to eat, drink, and celebrate the fleeting beauty of thFestival · Lunch
🇮🇩 IndonesiaIsra and Mi'rajالإسراء والمعراج (al-’Isrā’ wal-Miʿrāj)
An Islamic observance marking the prophet Muhammad’s night journey and ascent through the heavens.Spiritual
🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreMaslenitsaМасленица
A seven-day Eastern Slavic festival of pancakes and bonfires marking the end of winter before Lent.Festival · Breakfast
🇮🇳 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
🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico and 2 moreOur Lady of GuadalupeNuestra Señora de Guadalupe
A Mexican devotion to Mary, with a feast on 12 December and an image kept on a cloakSpiritual
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreMaha Shivaratriमहाशिवरात्रि
A Hindu night of fasting and vigil dedicated to Shiva, marking his divine union with Parvati.Festival
🇩🇪 Nuremberg, Germany and 5 moreChristmas marketWeihnachtsmarkt
A seasonal street market held during Advent in German-speaking regions and beyond, featuring stalls, food, and crafts.Festival · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇺🇸 New Orleans, United States and 5 moreMardi Gras
A festive day of parades and rich foods marking the final celebration before the Christian fasting season of Lent beginsFestival
🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria and 4 moreLipizzanerLipicanec
A gray riding horse breed and centuries-old tradition of classical dressage kept by the Spanish Riding School.Performance
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreImbolcLá Fhéile Bríde
A Gaelic festival heralding spring and honoring Saint Brigid with woven rush crossesSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 morePresentation of Jesus at the TempleIn praesentatione Domini
A February feast of candles and welcome, kept forty days after ChristmasSpiritual
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreBoxing Day
A public holiday on 26 December in Commonwealth nations, marked by charity, family time, and shopping sales.Festival
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreRaksha Bandhan
A Hindu festival where sisters tie a protective thread on their brothers' wrists to mark their bond.Festival
🇹🇳 Nabeul, Tunisia and 4 moreHarissaهريسة
A spicy chili pepper paste from Tunisia, used as a condiment and ingredient across North Africa.Table custom · Dinner
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreTapasTapa
Small Spanish snacks or appetizers served hot or cold, often shared among friends.Table custom · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇳 Pune, India and 5 moreGanesh Chaturthiगणेश चतुर्थी
A Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Ganesha, marked by clay idols, sweets, and public processions.Festival
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreAdvent calendarAdventskalender
A daily countdown to Christmas using doors, images, or small gifts.Festival
🇦🇹 Austria and 4 moreDirndl
A fitted dress with apron from the German-speaking Alps, worn for festivals and weddings.Dress
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreYaldā Nightشب یلدا
A solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaFestival · Dinner
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSt John's Eve
Bonfires, feasting and worship on the short night before John the Baptist's feastSpiritual
🇨🇦 Ottawa, CanadaCanada DayFête du Canada
A national holiday on July 1 that marks the 1867 union of Canadian colonies into a single dominion.Ceremony
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanHinamatsuri雛祭り
A March festival in Japan where families display ornamental dolls to pray for the health and happiness of young girls.Festival · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇳 Kolkata, India and 2 moreDurga Pujaদুর্গাপূজা
Ten days of worship for the goddess Durga, closing with images carried to the waterSpiritual
🇪🇸 Valls, SpainCastell
A Catalan tradition of building multi-level human towers at festivals, requiring strength, balance, and community solidaPerformance
🇲🇽 Guadalajara, Mexico and 1 moreMariachi
A Mexican string and trumpet music tradition featuring charro attire and communal singing.Performance
🇺🇸 Chicago, United States and 4 moreKwanzaa
A seven-day African American celebration of heritage, family and community valuesFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇩🇪 Germany and 12 moreSt. Martin's DayMartinstag
A November feast of lantern walks, bonfires, roast goose and new wineSpiritual
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreQingming Festival清明节
A spring custom of sweeping family graves and honouring ancestors across East Asia.Spiritual
🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyCarnival of VeniceCarnevale di Venezia
A historic festival in Italy famous for elaborate masks and anonymous social gatherings.Festival
🇮🇳 Mathura, India and 5 moreKrishna Janmashtamiकृष्णजन्माष्टमी
A night of fasting, song and vigil that marks the birth of KrishnaSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast
🇮🇳 Ayodhya, India and 5 moreRama Navamiराम नवमी
A Hindu spring festival marking the birth of Rama with prayer, fasting and processionsFestival
🇮🇳 India and 5 morePongal
Three or four days of boiling rice, garlanded cattle and thanks to the sunSeasonal · Sweets given and shared
🇪🇸 Pamplona, SpainFestival of San FermínSanfermines
An annual nine-day festival in Pamplona featuring bull runs, parades, and street music.Festival
🇯🇵 Tokyo, Japan and 2 moreTanabataたなばた
A Japanese summer star festival of written wishes hung on leafy bamboo.Festival
🇮🇳 India and 6 moreBuddha's Birthday佛诞
A festival marking the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, observed across Asia with temple rituals and community gatherings.Spiritual
🇺🇸 Punxsutawney, United States and 1 moreGroundhog DayGrund'sau dåk
A February ritual where communities watch a groundhog emerge to predict the length of winter.Festival
🇮🇳 Kochi, India and 5 moreOnamഓണം
A ten-day harvest festival in Kerala celebrating the return of King Mahabali with feasts, flower carpets and boat races.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇨🇳 Shanghai, China and 1 moreJiaozi餃子
Crescent Chinese dumplings filled with meat or vegetables, eaten for fortune and feastsTable custom · Breakfast
🇮🇳 Mysuru, India and 2 moreVijayadashamiविजयदशमी (Vijayadaśamī)
A Hindu festival marking the end of Navaratri, celebrating the victory of good over evil across India and Nepal.Festival
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Durga Puja: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bastille Day: Chief Petty Officer Michael McNabb, Public domain, source
- Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
- Boxing Day: Sigismund von Dobschütz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Rama Navami: Adityamadhav83, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Maha Shivaratri: Navneesh Ramessur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Castell: Pcm, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St John's Eve: Jules Breton, Public domain, source
- Pongal: Saral Shots, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Raksha Bandhan: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hanami: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Festival of San Fermín: SanchoPanzaXXI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mariachi: Elidealista, CC0, source
- Vesak: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เ, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ganesh Chaturthi: Original uploader was MatthieuMoy at fr.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, source
- Advent calendar: Andrea Schaufler, CC BY 2.5, source
- Onam: Jiteshgt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Via Dolorosa: Gaudenzio Ferrari, Public domain, source
- Kwanzaa: Apavlo at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Tanabata: Laika ac, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Maslenitsa: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jiaozi: Bioniclepluslotr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Navaratri: Mukerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dirndl: High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 de, source
- Isra and Mi'raj: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Harissa: Ovva olfa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mid-Autumn Festival: Shizhao, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Our Lady of Guadalupe: Sebastian Wallroth, CC BY 3.0, source
- Lipizzaner: Srdjan Živulovič, Attribution, source
- Yaldā Night: M.Sadegh Nikgostar/Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, source
- Tamalada: Tania Solá (WMMX), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Alpana: Tripan123, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Peʻa: Thomas Andrew (1855-1939), Public domain, source
- St. Martin's Day: Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, source
- Mardi Gras: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Buddha's Birthday: User: (WT-shared) Manoj nav at wts wikivoyage, Public domain, source
- Canada Day: Martin C. Barry ( Marty555 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Qingming Festival: Jacklee ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Groundhog Day: Anthony Quintano, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hinamatsuri: Lalupa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shavuot: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Carnival of Venice: Roberto Vicario, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Namaste: Ms Sarah Welch, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Christmas market: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tapas: Elemaki, CC BY 3.0, source
- Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
- Krishna Janmashtami: Nvvchar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vijayadashami: DiplomatTesterMan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source