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
🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 moreFa'ataupati
A traditional Samoan dance performed by men who clap and slap their bodies to create rhythm.Performance
🇮🇳 Nanded, IndiaGurpurabਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
A Sikh festival marking the birth or martyrdom of a Guru with prayers, processions and community meals.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 IranGabbehگبه
A thick, boldly simple wool rug, hand-woven by women in Iran's Zagros MountainsCraft
🇻🇪 Venezuela and 1 moreColeo
A Venezuelan and Colombian sport where riders chase cattle to snatch tails and pull them down.Game
🇳🇬 Osogbo, NigeriaOsun-Osogbo FestivalOsun-Osogbo
An annual Yoruba festival of cleansing, procession and sacrifice to the river goddess Osun in Osogbo, Nigeria.Festival
🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary and 2 moreHungarian folk dance
A collection of traditional dances kept by Hungarians in Hungary and across the diaspora.Performance
🇲🇼 Malawi and 3 moreNyau
A secret society and masked dance tradition of the Chewa people in Southern Africa.Spiritual
🇧🇴 Potosí, BoliviaTinku
A ritual combat and dance from northern Potosí, Bolivia, honoring Pachamama through ceremonial fighting and performance.Festival
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 5 moreInternational Mother Language Day
An annual observance on 21 February to protect linguistic diversity and honour the Bengali language movement.Festival
🇳🇴 Norway and 3 moreJulebukkingGå julebukk
A Scandinavian Christmas custom where masked visitors go door to door for songs and treats.Festival
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreKaddishקַדִּישׁ
A Jewish hymn of sanctification recited during prayer services and mourning rituals.Spiritual
🇿🇼 ZimbabweBira ceremony
An all-night Shona ritual in Zimbabwe where music and dance summon ancestral spirits for guidance.Spiritual
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 3 moreAitysh
Two improvising akyns trade rhymed sung verse in a contest on dombra and komuzPerformance
🇳🇬 Enugu, NigeriaAtilogwu
A high-energy Igbo youth dance featuring acrobatics, drum music and rhythmic jumps.Performance
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBertsolaritza
Improvised songs sung in Basque, rhymed on the spot at contests and gatheringsPerformance
🇮🇳 Amritsar, India and 1 moreGatkaਗੱਤਕਾ (Gurmukhi) / گَتّکا (Shahmukhi)
A Sikh martial art of stick-fighting and sword dance from the Punjab region.Performance
🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, SpainBotafumeiro
A giant swinging censer of brass and silver that fills the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral with incense during solemn fSpiritual
🇳🇿 Auckland, New ZealandTā moko
The traditional permanent tattooing of the Māori people of New Zealand, marking identity and status.Rite of passage
🇬🇪 GeorgiaTamadaთამადა
The toastmaster who leads the Georgian supra, guiding toasts and conversation at feasts.Etiquette
🇹🇭 Phon Phisai, Thailand and 1 moreNaga fireballsบั้งไฟพญานาค (bang fai phaya nak)
A festival of glowing orbs rising from the Mekong River, attributed to a mythical serpent.Festival
🇺🇸 New York, United StatesGhost Dance
A circle dance ceremony kept by Native American communities to reunite with ancestors and restore peace.Spiritual
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTribal youth dormitoryMorung
A communal house where a tribe's unmarried young people sleep, learn and serveRite of passage
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreHousewarming party
A gathering held soon after moving into a new home to celebrate the space and welcome guests.Home
🇬🇧 Hinton St George, United KingdomPunkie Night
A Somerset Halloween custom where children carry mangelwurzel lanterns and sing for candles.Festival
🇯🇵 JapanJichinsai地鎮祭
A Shinto ritual to ask the land spirits for protection before building a new home or structure.Spiritual
🇿🇦 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
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreGadaa
An eight-year democratic governance cycle practiced by the Oromo people of Ethiopia and Kenya.Ceremony
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreQuilting bee
A communal gathering where people stitch quilts together while sharing news and strengthening community bonds.Festival
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBasque rural sportsHerri kirolak
Stone lifting, wood chopping and oxen tests, born of Basque farm and fishing workGame
🇮🇳 Alappuzha, IndiaNehru Trophy Boat Race
An annual longboat race held on Punnamada Lake in Kerala, India.Festival
🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreSabar
A traditional Wolof and Serer drum played in Senegal and The Gambia, accompanying dance at weddings and festivals.Performance
🇩🇿 Algeria and 3 moreBerber calendarⵜⴰⵙⵡⴰⵙⵜ ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ (taswast tamaziɣt)
An agricultural timekeeping system used by the Amazigh people of North Africa to mark seasons and farming cycles.Seasonal · Dinner
🇮🇳 Thrissur, IndiaKerala mural painting
Frescoes of Hindu deities painted on temple and palace walls in Kerala, India.Performance
🇲🇱 MaliMahrمهر
A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride in Islamic marriages, serving as her financial security.Rite of passage
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreNakshi kanthaনকশি কাঁথা
A traditional embroidered quilt from Bengal, made by stitching layers of old cloth into colourful, patterned textiles.Craft
🇧🇧 BarbadosTuk band
A Barbadian musical ensemble with costumed figures that blends African drumming and British military traditions.Performance
🇹🇱 Dili, Timor-Leste and 1 moreTais
Traditional hand-woven cloth of East Timor, worn as dress or used in ceremonies and exchange.Dress
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreTibetan prayer flagLung ta / Darchog
Colorful cloth banners printed with mantras, hung in high places to spread blessings on the wind.Spiritual
🇫🇯 FijiTabua
A polished sperm whale tooth traded as a sacred gift in Fijian ceremonies and negotiations.Ceremony
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandCoronation of the Thai monarchพระราชพิธีบรมราชาภิเษก
A consecration ceremony blending Hindu and Buddhist rites to formally install the King of Thailand.Ceremony
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKuba textiles
Elaborate raffia cloths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known for their complex geometric embroidery and velvCraft
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMumming
A medieval European custom of masked house-to-house visits, performances and seasonal revelry.Festival
🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and 2 moreMongolian wrestlingBökh
A traditional folk wrestling style of the Mongols, kept as a central part of Naadam festivals across Mongolia and neighbGame
🇯🇵 JapanPindapata𑀧𑀺𑀡𑁆𑀟𑀘𑀸𑀭
A Buddhist almsround where monks walk through towns to receive food and necessities from laypeople.Spiritual
🇯🇵 Aomori, JapanAomori Nebuta Matsuri青森ねぶた祭
A summer festival in Aomori featuring large warrior floats and dancing participants.Festival
🇬🇷 Athens, Greece and 1 moreSirtakiσυρτάκι
A Greek folk dance created for a 1964 film that blends slow and fast rhythms into a single performance.Performance
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreKopitiam
A neighbourhood coffee shop where Southeast Asians share meals, drinks and newsTable custom · Breakfast
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates and 1 moreYowlahاليولة (al-yawlah)
A traditional stick and sword dance of the UAE and Oman, performed at weddings and celebrations.Performance
🇮🇳 Nanded, IndiaGurpurabਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
A Sikh festival marking the birth or martyrdom of a Guru with prayers, processions and community meals.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 IranGabbehگبه
A thick, boldly simple wool rug, hand-woven by women in Iran's Zagros MountainsCraft
🇻🇪 Venezuela and 1 moreColeo
A Venezuelan and Colombian sport where riders chase cattle to snatch tails and pull them down.Game
🇳🇬 Osogbo, NigeriaOsun-Osogbo FestivalOsun-Osogbo
An annual Yoruba festival of cleansing, procession and sacrifice to the river goddess Osun in Osogbo, Nigeria.Festival
🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary and 2 moreHungarian folk dance
A collection of traditional dances kept by Hungarians in Hungary and across the diaspora.Performance
🇲🇼 Malawi and 3 moreNyau
A secret society and masked dance tradition of the Chewa people in Southern Africa.Spiritual
🇧🇴 Potosí, BoliviaTinku
A ritual combat and dance from northern Potosí, Bolivia, honoring Pachamama through ceremonial fighting and performance.Festival
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 5 moreInternational Mother Language Day
An annual observance on 21 February to protect linguistic diversity and honour the Bengali language movement.Festival
🇳🇴 Norway and 3 moreJulebukkingGå julebukk
A Scandinavian Christmas custom where masked visitors go door to door for songs and treats.Festival
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreKaddishקַדִּישׁ
A Jewish hymn of sanctification recited during prayer services and mourning rituals.Spiritual
🇿🇼 ZimbabweBira ceremony
An all-night Shona ritual in Zimbabwe where music and dance summon ancestral spirits for guidance.Spiritual
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 3 moreAitysh
Two improvising akyns trade rhymed sung verse in a contest on dombra and komuzPerformance
🇳🇬 Enugu, NigeriaAtilogwu
A high-energy Igbo youth dance featuring acrobatics, drum music and rhythmic jumps.Performance
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBertsolaritza
Improvised songs sung in Basque, rhymed on the spot at contests and gatheringsPerformance
🇮🇳 Amritsar, India and 1 moreGatkaਗੱਤਕਾ (Gurmukhi) / گَتّکا (Shahmukhi)
A Sikh martial art of stick-fighting and sword dance from the Punjab region.Performance
🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, SpainBotafumeiro
A giant swinging censer of brass and silver that fills the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral with incense during solemn fSpiritual
🇳🇿 Auckland, New ZealandTā moko
The traditional permanent tattooing of the Māori people of New Zealand, marking identity and status.Rite of passage
🇬🇪 GeorgiaTamadaთამადა
The toastmaster who leads the Georgian supra, guiding toasts and conversation at feasts.Etiquette
🇹🇭 Phon Phisai, Thailand and 1 moreNaga fireballsบั้งไฟพญานาค (bang fai phaya nak)
A festival of glowing orbs rising from the Mekong River, attributed to a mythical serpent.Festival
🇺🇸 New York, United StatesGhost Dance
A circle dance ceremony kept by Native American communities to reunite with ancestors and restore peace.Spiritual
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTribal youth dormitoryMorung
A communal house where a tribe's unmarried young people sleep, learn and serveRite of passage
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreHousewarming party
A gathering held soon after moving into a new home to celebrate the space and welcome guests.Home
🇬🇧 Hinton St George, United KingdomPunkie Night
A Somerset Halloween custom where children carry mangelwurzel lanterns and sing for candles.Festival
🇯🇵 JapanJichinsai地鎮祭
A Shinto ritual to ask the land spirits for protection before building a new home or structure.Spiritual
🇿🇦 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
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreGadaa
An eight-year democratic governance cycle practiced by the Oromo people of Ethiopia and Kenya.Ceremony
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreQuilting bee
A communal gathering where people stitch quilts together while sharing news and strengthening community bonds.Festival
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBasque rural sportsHerri kirolak
Stone lifting, wood chopping and oxen tests, born of Basque farm and fishing workGame
🇮🇳 Alappuzha, IndiaNehru Trophy Boat Race
An annual longboat race held on Punnamada Lake in Kerala, India.Festival
🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreSabar
A traditional Wolof and Serer drum played in Senegal and The Gambia, accompanying dance at weddings and festivals.Performance
🇩🇿 Algeria and 3 moreBerber calendarⵜⴰⵙⵡⴰⵙⵜ ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ (taswast tamaziɣt)
An agricultural timekeeping system used by the Amazigh people of North Africa to mark seasons and farming cycles.Seasonal · Dinner
🇮🇳 Thrissur, IndiaKerala mural painting
Frescoes of Hindu deities painted on temple and palace walls in Kerala, India.Performance
🇲🇱 MaliMahrمهر
A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride in Islamic marriages, serving as her financial security.Rite of passage
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreNakshi kanthaনকশি কাঁথা
A traditional embroidered quilt from Bengal, made by stitching layers of old cloth into colourful, patterned textiles.Craft
🇧🇧 BarbadosTuk band
A Barbadian musical ensemble with costumed figures that blends African drumming and British military traditions.Performance
🇹🇱 Dili, Timor-Leste and 1 moreTais
Traditional hand-woven cloth of East Timor, worn as dress or used in ceremonies and exchange.Dress
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreTibetan prayer flagLung ta / Darchog
Colorful cloth banners printed with mantras, hung in high places to spread blessings on the wind.Spiritual
🇫🇯 FijiTabua
A polished sperm whale tooth traded as a sacred gift in Fijian ceremonies and negotiations.Ceremony
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandCoronation of the Thai monarchพระราชพิธีบรมราชาภิเษก
A consecration ceremony blending Hindu and Buddhist rites to formally install the King of Thailand.Ceremony
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKuba textiles
Elaborate raffia cloths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known for their complex geometric embroidery and velvCraft
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMumming
A medieval European custom of masked house-to-house visits, performances and seasonal revelry.Festival
🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and 2 moreMongolian wrestlingBökh
A traditional folk wrestling style of the Mongols, kept as a central part of Naadam festivals across Mongolia and neighbGame
🇯🇵 JapanPindapata𑀧𑀺𑀡𑁆𑀟𑀘𑀸𑀭
A Buddhist almsround where monks walk through towns to receive food and necessities from laypeople.Spiritual
🇯🇵 Aomori, JapanAomori Nebuta Matsuri青森ねぶた祭
A summer festival in Aomori featuring large warrior floats and dancing participants.Festival
🇬🇷 Athens, Greece and 1 moreSirtakiσυρτάκι
A Greek folk dance created for a 1964 film that blends slow and fast rhythms into a single performance.Performance
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreKopitiam
A neighbourhood coffee shop where Southeast Asians share meals, drinks and newsTable custom · Breakfast
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates and 1 moreYowlahاليولة (al-yawlah)
A traditional stick and sword dance of the UAE and Oman, performed at weddings and celebrations.Performance
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Gurpurab: Gill Gagandeep, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Coleo: Alorenz, Public domain, source
- Osun-Osogbo Festival: Cheeka 2.0, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hungarian folk dance: Koós Ildikó, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nyau: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tinku: CassandraW1, CC BY 2.0, source
- International Mother Language Day: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Julebukking: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kaddish: Jwh, CC BY-SA 3.0 lu, source
- Atilogwu: Arch-Angel Raphael the Artist, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bertsolaritza: Akerbeltz, Public domain, source
- Gatka: Simon Speed, Public domain, source
- Botafumeiro: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez ( Lmbuga Commons )( Lmbuga Galipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tā moko: Gottfried Lindauer, Public domain, source
- Tamada: Niko Pirosmani, Public domain, source
- Naga fireballs: J A Forbes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ghost Dance: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Tribal youth dormitory: Aravind Manickam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Housewarming party: State Library of Queensland, Australia, No restrictions, source
- Jichinsai: ウィキ太郎(Wiki Taro), Public domain, source
- Lobolo: Iwuala Lucy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gadaa: YHANNES BULTIE TADESSE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Quilting bee: Carol M. Highsmith via Library of Congress, Commons, CC0, source
- Basque rural sports: Javier Mediavilla Ezquibela, CC BY 2.5, source
- Nehru Trophy Boat Race: Varghesepunnamada, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sabar: AbaDiop, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kerala mural painting: Sivavkm, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nakshi kantha: A junaid alam khan ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Tuk band: Ronaldwalcott, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tais: Daderot, CC0, source
- Tibetan prayer flag: Wotan, CC BY 2.5, source
- Tabua: Hannes Grobe /AWI, CC BY 3.0, source
- Coronation of the Thai monarch: Tris_T7, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kuba textiles: Hiart, CC0, source
- Mumming: Flemish illuminator Jehan de Grise and his workshop, 1338-1344, Public domain, source
- Mongolian wrestling: U.S. Department of State, Public domain, source
- Pindapata: Suhendro winarso, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aomori Nebuta Matsuri: Fisherman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sirtaki: Simon Bonaventure, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kopitiam: Chongkian, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yowlah: Sharon Harper, CC BY 2.0, source