All traditions
2,270 traditions so far, best known first. 12,349 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
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilCapoeira
An Afro-Brazilian martial art and musical game played inside a circleGame
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreDandiya Raas
A stick dance from Gujarat performed in pairs during the festival of NavaratriPerformance
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreOberek
A rapid Polish spinning dance in triple metre with athletic lifts and jumpsPerformance
🇳🇿 New ZealandTivaevaetīvaevae
A traditional Polynesian art of artistic quilting made by women for gifts and ceremonies.Craft
🇲🇺 Mauritius and 3 moreSegaséga
A music and dance tradition from Mauritius and Réunion with Afro-Malagasy roots.Performance
🇧🇿 Dangriga, Belize and 4 morePunta rock
A fast-paced Garifuna dance music mixing traditional percussion with electric guitarsPerformance
🇳🇬 Calabar, NigeriaCalabar Carnival
An annual December street festival and cultural gathering held in Calabar, NigeriaFestival
🇨🇱 ChileNgillatun
A communal Mapuche rite of prayer, sacrifice and dance to maintain cosmic balanceSpiritual
🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, Spain and 7 moreCamino de SantiagoEl Camino de Santiago
A Christian walking pilgrimage across Europe to the shrine of Saint James in SpainSpiritual
🇨🇳 Tianjin, ChinaManchu-Han Imperial Feast滿漢全席
A grand multi-day banquet uniting Manchu and Han culinary traditions in ChinaTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇱🇸 LesothoMokorotlo
A conical straw hat that serves as the national symbol of Lesotho and a key element of Basotho traditional dress.Dress
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSiesta
A short afternoon rest or sleep taken after the midday mealHome · Lunch
🇺🇸 New Orleans, United StatesKrewe
Carnival clubs that stage parades, balls, and pageantry along the Gulf CoastFestival
🇸🇴 Somalia and 1 moreDhaanto
A Somali folk dance and music style used for morale and celebration in the Horn of Africa.Performance
🇲🇦 Morocco and 5 moreAndalusi classical musicطرب أندلسي
A classical suite of vocal and instrumental music shared across North AfricaPerformance
🇲🇲 Bagan, MyanmarNat worshipနတ်
Veneration of guardian spirits and nature deities alongside Buddhism in MyanmarSpiritual
🇨🇳 Hong Kong, China and 5 moreFace
The shared social etiquette of honour, dignity and mutual respect across culturesEtiquette
🇮🇳 Gwalior, India and 1 moreDhrupadध्रुवपद
The foundational vocal and instrumental classical music tradition of northern IndiaPerformance
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanKendo剣道
A Japanese martial art of swordsmanship using bamboo swords and protective armourGame
🇦🇺 Sydney, Australia and 5 moreSurf lifesaving
A volunteer beach rescue and ocean sports tradition originating on Australian coasts.Game
🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 morePontifical Swiss GuardPontificia Cohors Helvetica
The Swiss military corps charged with guarding the Pope and the Apostolic PalaceCeremony
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanTorii鳥居
A traditional Japanese gate marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine and separating the sacred from the mundane.Spiritual
🇹🇳 Tunis, Tunisia and 2 moreBerber carpet
Hand-woven wool rugs crafted by Amazigh communities across North AfricaCraft
🇲🇬 Antananarivo, MadagascarHiragasyHira gasy
A day-long Malagasy highland tradition of song, dance, and poetic speech competitionsPerformance
🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyCicchettiCicheti
A Venetian custom of small counter snacks enjoyed with a glass of local white wineTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇩 IndonesiaOgoh-ogohᬳᭀᬕᭀᬄᬳᭀᬕᭀᬄ
Giant handcrafted statues paraded and burned on the eve of the Balinese Saka New YearFestival
🇮🇳 Mumbai, India and 1 moreFire templeآتشکده
A consecrated sanctuary where Zoroastrians tend sacred fires and gather for worshipSpiritual
🇬🇲 Gambia and 4 moreKoraߞߐߙߊ
A 21-string West African harp-lute played by hereditary storytellers and bardsPerformance
🇺🇸 New York, United States and 2 moreSalsa
A lively Latin partner dance rooted in Afro-Caribbean rhythms and social dance traditionsPerformance
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreCuju蹴鞠
An ancient Chinese kicking game played without hands using a stuffed or air-filled ballGame
🇲🇬 MadagascarFady
A system of cultural taboos in Madagascar that regulate daily life and spiritual practice.Spiritual
🇫🇮 Finland and 1 moreFinnish saunasauna
A weekly bathing ritual of steam and heat, central to Finnish life and wellbeing.Home
🇮🇱 IsraelTallitטלית
A four-cornered Jewish prayer shawl with ritual fringes worn during worshipSpiritual
🇺🇸 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
🇳🇬 Oyo, Nigeria and 1 moreEgungunEgúngún
Yoruba ancestral masquerades bringing blessings, counsel and moral renewalSpiritual
🇦🇲 Yerevan, ArmeniaArmenian carpetՀայկական գորգ
A handwoven textile tradition of knotted pile rugs and sacred geometric symbolsCraft
🇹🇼 Yilan, Taiwan and 4 moreTaiwanese opera歌仔戲
A Taiwanese theatrical art of Hokkien balladry, stylized staging, and expressive song.Performance
🇨🇳 Puyang, ChinaFeng shui風水
The Chinese spatial practice of aligning homes and graves with natural energyFolklore
🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMizmarمزمار
A traditional double-reed instrument and drum ensemble for weddings and folk dancesPerformance
🇵🇭 PhilippinesPandanggo
A lively Philippine folk dance of quick steps, clapping and balanced lightsPerformance
🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 2 moreIrish stepdance
A percussive dance form with swift, intricate footwork and an upright torsoPerformance
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreCharro traditionCharro
The equestrian skills, formal attire and rodeo arts of the Mexican horseman.Game
🇨🇱 ChileCurantokurantu
A traditional earth oven feast of seafood, meat, and potatoes from Chiloé, ChileTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇵🇭 Cebu, PhilippinesArnis
The national martial art of the Philippines using sticks, bladed weapons and open handsGame
🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreSiva Samoa
A graceful Samoan dance marked by subtle, expressive arm and hand movementsPerformance
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanYūzen友禅
A Japanese resist-dyeing craft that creates painterly patterns on fine kimonoCraft
🇨🇳 ChinaGuanxi关系
A Chinese tradition of cultivating trusted networks and reciprocal obligationsEtiquette
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea and 5 moreShell money
Traditional currency made from cowries, ground clam beads, and carved sea shellsCraft
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Letra del Año: Ìṣẹ̀ṣeAssembly, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Zajal: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
- Capoeira: Augustus Earle, Public domain, source
- Dandiya Raas: User:psubhashish, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Oberek: Józef Chełmoński, Public domain, source
- Tivaevae: John Colles Burland, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sega: HelenOnline, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Calabar Carnival: Raji kunle, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ngillatun: Francisco Cavallo, Public domain, source
- Manchu-Han Imperial Feast: Cara Chow ( Charlotte1125 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Camino de Santiago: stephenD, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mokorotlo: Vanellus Foto, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Krewe: Tim Ross, Public domain, source
- Dhaanto: aflaanta std, CC BY 3.0, source
- Siesta: Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, source
- Nat worship: Emily Khine, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kendo: Source: photo taken by Harald Hofer, CC BY-SA 2.0 at, source
- Surf lifesaving: User:Celcom, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Pontifical Swiss Guard: The White House, Public domain, source
- Torii: JordyMeow, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Berber carpet: Quadell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hiragasy: Hopeandlink, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cicchetti: Benreis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ogoh-ogoh: Simondodit, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fire temple: Uploaded to Flickr by Adam Jones (Copied to Wikimedia by nagualdesign, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kora: kevinzim, CC BY 2.0, source
- Salsa: Edil Villa, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cuju: BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fady: Robin Taylor, CC BY 2.0, source
- Finnish sauna: Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, source
- Tallit: Mushki Brichta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saint Patrick's Day in the United States: White House/Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
- Armenian carpet: VincentKeers, Public domain, source
- Taiwanese opera: Sean Chiu, CC BY 4.0, source
- Feng shui: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Mizmar: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pandanggo: John Charlton, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Irish stepdance: John Benson, CC BY 2.0, source
- Charro tradition: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Curanto: Lin linao, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Arnis: Carmen Novoa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Siva Samoa: Smita Biswas, CC BY 4.0, source
- Yūzen: Ismoon ( talk ), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shell money: Niccolò Gualtieri, Public domain, source