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
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKasayaकाषाय
The traditional patchwork robes worn by ordained Buddhist monasticsDress
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreArkhalig
A traditional fitted jacket worn by men and women in the Caucasus and IranDress
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCabañuelasLas cabañuelas
A traditional weather forecasting method using the first thirty-one days of January to predict the rest of the year.Folklore
🇮🇳 Hyderabad, IndiaClothing of Hyderabad
Traditional attire of Hyderabad, shaped by South Asian and Islamic stylesDress
🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreFeast of Saint Thomas Aquinas
An annual Christian feast day honouring the medieval theologian Saint Thomas AquinasSpiritual
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDaura-Suruwalदौरा सुरुवाल
The traditional Nepali male attire of a wrap shirt, tapered trousers, and a coat.Dress
🇷🇸 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
🇩🇪 Überlingen, GermanyÜberlinger HänseleHänsele
A masked carnival figure kept by male citizens in Überlingen, Germany, during Fasnet and summer processions.Festival
🇺🇸 United StatesUnity candle
A modern wedding ritual where two flames join to ignite a single central candleRite of passage
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 morePurim costume
The Jewish custom of wearing masks and disguises during the festival of PurimDress
🇿🇼 Harare, ZimbabweHarare International Festival of the Arts
An annual week-long celebration of music, dance, theatre and art in Harare, ZimbabwePerformance
🇻🇪 Caracas, VenezuelaCaracas Pride
An annual pride march in Venezuela calling for equal rights for LGBTQ communitiesCeremony
🇱🇹 LithuaniaLithuanian cross craftingLietuvos kryždirbystė
A Lithuanian folk art of carving wooden crosses that blend Christian faith with ancient Baltic symbols.Craft
🇮🇳 IndiaBurra katha
A Telugu three-person storytelling show of song, dance, jokes and social commentPerformance
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaMughal clothing
Court dress of the Mughal Empire in silk, muslin and velvet, worn with jewelsDress
🇲🇽 MexicoTilmàtlitilmahtli
A man's cloak from central Mexico, knotted at the shoulder and often used to carry loadsDress
🇮🇹 L'Aquila, ItalyCelestinian PardonPerdonanza Celestiniana
A yearly Catholic jubilee in L'Aquila, Italy, and a pardon first granted in 1294Spiritual
🇷🇺 Moscow, RussiaRegalia of the Russian tsars
The crowns, thrones and jewels Russian rulers used to take power, shown in MoscowCeremony
🇱🇰 Sri LankaHambiliyaහැඹිලිය
A small woven purse tucked into the folds of a Sri Lankan osariyaDress
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreHindu weddingविवाह
The marriage rites of Hindu families, sealed by seven steps around a sacred fireRite of passage
🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and 1 moreTaqin hatکلاه تاقین (Dari), د پښتين خولۍ (Pashto)
A red and black patterned cap from northern Afghanistan, worn today as a political symbolDress
🇦🇺 AustraliaAustralian work boot
A laceless leather boot with elastic sides, worn for work and dress in AustraliaDress
🇸🇾 Homs, Syria and 4 moreApostles' Fast
A fast of eastern Christian churches, kept from after Pentecost to 29 JuneSpiritual
🇵🇭 PhilippinesPamaypay
A heart-shaped fan woven from palm leaves in the Philippines, carried or hung on a wallCraft
🇺🇦 Dnipro, UkraineCossack songsКозацькі пісні Дніпропетровщини
Folk songs made by Cossacks, still sung by choirs in the Dnipropetrovsk regionPerformance
🇮🇳 IndiaMekhela chador
A two-piece Assamese dress, a pleated skirt and a draped cloth, woven in Assam silkDress
🇮🇳 IndiaVaramalaवरमाला
The flower garland a bride and groom exchange at a Hindu wedding to accept each otherRite of passage
🇯🇵 JapanKomagaku高麗楽
Court music and dance from Japan's imperial tradition, played on bamboo flute and drumsPerformance
🇵🇭 PhilippinesHilot
A Filipino healing practice of hands-on massage, harmony and the spiritFolklore
🇫🇷 Paris, France and 4 moreChaperon
A medieval hood that grew into western Europe's most complicated hatDress
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanAnma按摩
Japanese massage given through the clothes, long practised by blind therapistsFolklore
🇸🇦 Medina, Saudi ArabiaDay of Sorrowروز غم (Persian); یوم غم (Urdu)
A mourning day for some Shia Muslims, remembering the 1926 loss of graves in MedinaSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaLunar phase
The moon's changing faces, and the days Hindu tradition marks by themSeasonal
🇵🇭 Manila, PhilippinesPañuelo
A Filipino scarf of embroidered abaca or piña cloth, folded to a triangle over the blouseDress
🇰🇷 Seoul, South Korea and 5 moreSundo국선도 (國仙道); also 선도 (仙道)
Korean Taoist meditation: still postures, deep belly breathing, calm attentionSpiritual
🇲🇲 Mandalay, Myanmar and 1 moreMeitei clothing in Myanmar
Traditional garments worn by the Meitei community in Myanmar, featuring distinctive silk weaving and ceremonial styles.Dress
🇦🇺 Gold Coast, Australia and 3 moreSchoolies week
A week of parties by the sea that Australian school leavers take after their examsRite of passage
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreCrepidaκρηπίς
An open, strapped leather shoe of ancient Greece, worn by peasants, soldiers and actorsDress
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreDragon robe袞龍袍 (gǔn lóngpáo)
Robes embroidered with dragons, worn by Chinese emperors and copied by nearby courtsDress
🇭🇷 Šibenik, CroatiaŠibenik capšibenska kapa
A red or dark orange embroidered cap from Šibenik, a sign of the cityDress
🇮🇷 IranLuri clothing
Felt hats and woven wool wrappers worn by Luri men in IranDress
🇨🇳 Luoyang, ChinaRuqun襦裙
A short jacket over a long skirt: the oldest shape of Han Chinese dressDress
🇬🇧 Glasgow, United KingdomHebridean mythology and folklore
A collection of legends from the Scottish islands about water spirits, fairies, and sea monsters.Folklore
🇮🇳 IndiaMeitei marriageLuhongba (ꯂꯨꯍꯣꯡꯕ)
A sacred union of hearts and souls, marked by clan agreements, ritual steps, and a feast.Rite of passage · Feasts and festival meals
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 5 moreThawbثَوْب (thawb)
A long robe for men in the Arab world, with a different name in each regionDress
🇰🇵 Jangyeon-gun, North Korea and 1 moreMonggeumpo Taryeong몽금포타령
A Korean folk song from the northwest, sung for sailors who are away at seaPerformance
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Monggeumpo Taryeong: by dhutchman, CC BY 2.0, source
- Yunjin brocade: Dr. Meierhofer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kasaya: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Daura-Suruwal: not researched, CC BY 4.0, source
- Serbian traditional clothing: Kolega2357, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Überlinger Hänsele: Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 4.0, source
- Unity candle: Dvillasmil, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Purim costume: Flavio~, CC BY 2.0, source
- Lithuanian cross crafting: Vilensija, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Burra katha: Sukanto Debnath, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mughal clothing: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Tilmàtli: God (1531 presented by Juan Diego), Public domain, source
- Celestinian Pardon: Verdenex84, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Regalia of the Russian tsars: Ramón, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Hindu wedding: Gori Girl, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Taqin hat: Maori Legend, CC0, source
- Australian work boot: User AYArktos on en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Apostles' Fast: Dianelos Georgoudis, Public domain, source
- Pamaypay: Patpat nava, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cossack songs: Kuban kkx, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mekhela chador: Deepraj, CC BY 2.5, source
- Varamala: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hilot: Judgefloro, CC0, source
- Chaperon: After Rogier van der Weyden, Public domain, source
- Anma: Ogawa Kazumasa, Public domain, source
- Day of Sorrow: Mardetanha, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lunar phase: Rialfver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pañuelo: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Sundo: Nicolas TACCHI, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Meitei clothing in Myanmar: Colesworthey Grant, Public domain, source
- Schoolies week: The original uploader was Tristanb at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Crepida: Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.5, source
- Šibenik cap: Roberta F., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Luri clothing: شاپور خواست, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ruqun: Anonymous Han Dynasty artist, Public domain, source
- Hebridean mythology and folklore: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Meitei marriage: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Thawb: Mary Paulose, CC BY 2.0, source