All traditions
2,350 traditions so far, best known first. 12,186 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
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreFairy ring
A natural ring of mushrooms formed by fungal growth, surrounded by folklore across Europe and beyond.Folklore
🇬🇧 Torry, United KingdomUnspoken Water
A Scottish healing custom in which water was fetched in silence and given to the sickFolklore
🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreSølje
A silver brooch from Norway, worn with the bunad or on its ownDress
🇬🇧 Palace of Westminster, United KingdomParliamentary snuff box
A wooden box of free snuff kept at the door of the House of CommonsCeremony
🇬🇧 Linton, United KingdomLinton Worm
A Borders dragon killed with a burning spear, told in Roxburghshire since the 12th centuryFolklore
🇷🇺 RussiaOctobering
A short-lived Soviet naming rite that put the Red Star in place of the baptismal crossRite of passage
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreQuaker wedding
A silent marriage ceremony in a Quaker meeting, with no priest and no set orderRite of passage
🇬🇧 Chipping Campden, United KingdomCotswold Olimpick Games
Races, wrestling and shin-kicking on a Cotswold hillside, held since about 1612Game
🇮🇪 Kinsale, IrelandKinsale cloakfallaing Chionn tSáile
The last Irish cloak, a hooded wool wrap of West Cork, worn into the 1900sDress
🇧🇪 Oostduinkerke, BelgiumShrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke
Fishers ride draft horses into the sea at Oostduinkerke to net brown shrimpCraft
🇷🇺 RussiaRussian folk music
The village songs, choirs and instruments of Russia's ethnic Russian peoplePerformance
🇧🇪 Brussels, BelgiumKunstenfestivaldesarts
An annual May arts festival in Brussels, with theatre, dance, film and visual artPerformance
🇬🇧 United KingdomBoobrie
A shapeshifting beast of Scotland's western sea lochs, said to take livestockFolklore
🇬🇧 Skye, United KingdomFairy FlagA' Bhratach Shìth
A tattered silk square kept by Clan MacLeod on Skye, said to hold magical powers for the clan.Folklore
🇬🇧 United KingdomDruid's PrayerGweddi'r Derwydd
A short Welsh prayer by Iolo Morganwg, said in ritual by druids todaySpiritual
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreGymnastyorkaгимнастёрка
A loose pullover smock that began as a peasant shirt and became a soldier's uniformDress
🇬🇧 Orkney, United KingdomNuckelaveeknoggelvi
A horse-like sea demon of Orkney folklore, blamed for drought, plague and sick livestock.Folklore
🇷🇺 RussiaStalin tunicсталинка
The plain jacket Soviet officials adopted as a political uniformDress
🇮🇸 Skálholt, IcelandThorlak's MassÞorláksmessa
Iceland's feast of its patron saint on 23 December, the last day before ChristmasSpiritual
🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 2 moreInsufflation
A ritual of blowing and breathing, used at baptism to drive out evil and breathe in graceSpiritual
🇮🇹 Trieste, ItalyBarcolanaBarkovljanka
A one-start-line sailing race held each October in the Gulf of TriesteGame
🇩🇪 Hamburg, GermanyPrince Henry capPrinz-Heinrich-Mütze
A peaked cap with a tall band and a small firm crown, linked to German naval dressDress
🇮🇹 Lake Nemi, ItalyNemoralia
A three-day Roman festival of torches and garlands for the goddess DianaSpiritual
🇮🇸 Reykjavík, IcelandIceland Noir
An annual November literature and storytelling festival held in central ReykjavíkPerformance
🇫🇷 France and 2 moreReynard the FoxRoman de Renart
A medieval European beast fable cycle starring a cunning trickster foxFolklore
🇬🇧 United KingdomThe Knight's Ghost
A traditional folk ballad of grief, captive soldiers and a midnight spectral visitationPerformance
🇷🇸 Belgrade, Serbia and 2 moreMerlinka Festival
An annual queer film festival held across Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and MontenegroFestival
🇭🇷 Metković, CroatiaŽudije
Dalmatian guardians who watch the tomb of Christ from Holy Thursday to Easter VigilSpiritual
🇱🇺 LuxembourgCinEast
An October film festival in Luxembourg showing new cinema from Central and Eastern EuropeFestival
🇮🇸 IcelandChristmas in IcelandJól
A winter festival of mountain folklore, family feasts and thirteen mischievous visitorsFestival · Dinner
🇬🇧 Penzance, United KingdomGuldizeGool dheys
A Cornish harvest supper after the last sheaf is cut, with pork, pie, singing and gamesSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇳🇴 NorwayMárkomeannu
A Sámi music and cultural festival held in northern NorwayFestival
🇲🇪 Herceg Novi, MontenegroSunčane Skale
A three-day summer pop music festival and song competition in MontenegroPerformance
🇬🇷 GreeceLipothymiarikosΛιποθυμιάρικος (Χορός της νύφης)
A men-only Greek wedding dance where one dancer pretends to faint and springs upPerformance
🇮🇸 Reykjavík, IcelandReykjavík PrideHinsegin dagar í Reykjavík
An annual festival and parade celebrating LGBT+ rights and visibility in IcelandFestival
🇲🇹 Valletta, MaltaL-Għanja tal-Poplu
An annual Maltese music festival celebrating original songs in MaltesePerformance
🇳🇱 Netherlands and 6 moreManifesta
A roving European contemporary art festival held in a new host city every two yearsPerformance
🇸🇰 SlovakiaName days in SlovakiaMeniny
The Slovak tradition of celebrating personal name days alongside birthdaysSeasonal
🇸🇰 Pezinok, SlovakiaPezinok Grape Harvest FestivalPezinské vinobranie
An annual autumn harvest and wine festival filling the streets of Pezinok, SlovakiaSeasonal · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇽🇰 Prizren, KosovoAutostrada Biennale
A biennial contemporary art festival and cultural exhibition in Prizren, KosovoPerformance
🇱🇻 Riga, LatviaRiga International Short Film Festival 2ANNASRīgas Starptautiskais īsfilmu festivāls 2ANNAS
An annual autumn film competition and screening event held in Riga, LatviaPerformance
🇧🇦 Konjic, Bosnia and HerzegovinaKonjic woodcarvingKonjičko drvorezbarstvo
A traditional hand-carving craft shaping furniture and home ornaments in KonjicCraft
🇲🇹 Floriana, MaltaIsle of MTV
A major free summer open-air pop and electronic music gathering held in MaltaFestival
🇽🇰 Gjilan, KosovoFlaka e Janarit
A winter arts festival in Kosovo honoring national martyrs through music, drama and verseFestival
🇭🇺 HungaryDolman
A Hungarian-bred garment, worn as hussar uniform and later as a woman's outdoor wrapDress
🇵🇹 PortugalMissas do Parto
Nine morning Masses in Madeira that follow Mary through the last days of her pregnancySpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇬🇷 GreecePeronaiπερόνη (perónē)
A long straight pin that fastened Greek clothing, and a weapon in Greek legendDress
🇷🇺 RussiaPodvorotnichokподворотничок
A detachable white fabric strip sewn inside military uniform collars for hygieneDress
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Fairy ring: User:Mrs skippy, Public domain, source
- Sølje: Foto Anne-Lise Reinsfelt / Norsk Folkemuseum., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Linton Worm: Pasicles, CC0, source
- Octobering: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Cotswold Olimpick Games: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kinsale cloak: LynnMGallagher, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke: Roosde, CC BY 4.0, source
- Russian folk music: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Boobrie: Ole Worm - Olaus Wormius, Public domain, source
- Fairy Flag: Otter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gymnastyorka: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Nuckelavee: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stalin tunic: shakko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Thorlak's Mass: Orf3us, Public domain, source
- Barcolana: Roberto Baroni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Prince Henry cap: KarleHorn, CC BY 3.0, source
- Nemoralia: Frederic Leighton, Public domain, source
- Iceland Noir: TommyBee, CC0, source
- Christmas in Iceland: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
- Márkomeannu: Chmee2, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Reykjavík Pride: Helgi Halldórsson, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Manifesta: Manifesta8 manifesta 8, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Autostrada Biennale: Lajmmoore, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pezinok Grape Harvest Festival: Bratislavská župa, CC BY 2.0, source
- Konjic woodcarving: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Isle of MTV: Continentaleurope, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Flaka e Janarit: E Sadiku, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dolman: Jean Baptiste Vanmour, Public domain, source
- Missas do Parto: Porto Bay Events, CC BY 2.0, source