All traditions
2,237 traditions so far, best known first. 12,423 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
🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreChristmas
A festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared mealsFestival
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 moreHalloween
An annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritageFestival · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇹 Rome, Italy and 4 moreValentine's Day
A Christian feast day and cultural celebration of love kept on February 14 in many countries.Festival
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreChristmas tree
A decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.Festival
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreChristmas Eve
The evening before Christmas, marked by church services, family meals, and gift preparations across Christian cultures.Festival · Dinner
🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain and 5 moreFeast of Corpus ChristiCorpus Domini
A Christian feast celebrating the presence of Christ in the bread and wine of the EucharistSpiritual
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreCandlemas
A Christian feast of candle blessings marking the end of the Christmas seasonSpiritual
🇮🇹 Venice, ItalyCicchettiCicheti
A Venetian custom of small counter snacks enjoyed with a glass of local white wineTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreSiesta
A short afternoon rest or sleep taken after the midday mealHome · Lunch
🇮🇸 IcelandKvæði
Long narrative ballads sung during traditional chain dances in the Faroe IslandsPerformance
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, DenmarkFaroese chain danceFøroyskur dansur
A living medieval chain dance guided by sung ballads in the Faroe IslandsPerformance
🇪🇪 EstoniaJaanipäev
Estonia's midsummer night of bonfires, song and fortune-telling, on 23 and 24 JuneFestival
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreMorris dance
A rhythmic English folk dance performed in costume with bells, sticks and handkerchiefsPerformance
🇬🇧 Pilton, United KingdomGlastonbury Festival
A five-day summer performing arts festival held on Somerset farmlandFestival
🇪🇸 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
🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 morePontifical Swiss GuardPontificia Cohors Helvetica
The Swiss military corps charged with guarding the Pope and the Apostolic PalaceCeremony
🇫🇮 Finland and 1 moreFinnish saunasauna
A weekly bathing ritual of steam and heat, central to Finnish life and wellbeing.Home
🇪🇸 Granada, SpainCante jondo
A solemn and profound vocal tradition of Andalusian flamenco song.Performance
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreOberek
A rapid Polish spinning dance in triple metre with athletic lifts and jumpsPerformance
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 morePub quiz
A weekly social trivia game played by teams at tables in pubs and barsGame
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreApril Fools' Day
An annual day of lighthearted pranks, hoaxes and teasing kept on the first of AprilFestival
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreHandshake
A brief clasp of hands to greet, part or seal a deal, with local rules on how it is doneEtiquette
🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 moreConclave
Cardinals sealed in the Sistine Chapel, voting until two thirds agree on a new popeSpiritual
🇮🇹 Naples, Italy and 5 moreGreasy pole
A slippery pole climbed, walked or crossed to win a prize at the top or the far endGame
🇬🇷 Olympia, Greece and 1 moreOlympic torch relay
The ceremonial journey of the flame from Olympia to each host city of the Olympic GamesCeremony
🇮🇹 Naples, ItalyCaffè
Italy's daily coffee habit: espresso taken standing at the bar, and moka coffee at homeTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇳🇴 Bergen, NorwayBuekorps
Youth marching groups of Bergen's neighbourhoods, with drums, banners and a May paradeCeremony
🇵🇱 Kraków, PolandSt. Mary's Trumpet CallHejnał mariacki
A five-note bugle call played hourly from the tower of St. Mary's Church in Kraków, Poland.Performance
🇱🇹 LithuaniaVėlinės
A Lithuanian remembrance day honouring deceased souls with cemetery prayers and candlesSpiritual
🇮🇪 Waterford, IrelandSean-nós singingSean-nós
An unaccompanied, highly ornamented style of traditional Irish folk singingPerformance
🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland and 2 moreIrish traditional music
A living folk practice of dance tunes, airs, songs and communal pub sessionsPerformance
🇫🇷 Paris, FranceCoupé-décalé
Ivorian dance music of club nights, flamboyant dress and money thrown to the crowdPerformance
🇮🇪 Ireland and 2 moreJack-o'-lantern
A carved pumpkin lantern lit with a candle to brighten and protect Halloween nightsFolklore
🇸🇪 Mora, SwedenVasaloppet
A 90 km cross-country ski race from Sälen to Mora, run every March since 1922Game
🇳🇴 Oslo, NorwayHolmenkollen Ski FestivalHolmenkollen skifestival
An annual Nordic skiing festival at Holmenkollen in Oslo, held each March since 1892Game
🇫🇷 France and 4 morePicnic
A meal taken outdoors in a park or scenic spot, often shared with friends and family.Festival · Lunch
🇳🇴 Norway and 3 moreGákti
A traditional coat worn by the Sámi people across northern Scandinavia and Russia, signaling origin and status through cDress
🇮🇪 Ros Muc, Ireland and 2 moreSean-nós dancedamhsa ar an sean nós
An improvised solo Irish dance: low footwork, free arms and a loud battering beatPerformance
🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark and 1 moreHygge
A Danish word for unhurried time at home with others, kept with candles and cookingHome
🇪🇸 Pamplona, Spain and 3 moreRunning of the bullsencierro
Runners sprint ahead of loose bulls through barricaded town streets in summerFestival
🇵🇱 Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland and 1 moreMarch of the LivingMarsz Żywych (Polish) · מצעד החיים (Hebrew)
An annual two-week journey to Poland ending in a silent walk from Auschwitz to BirkenauCeremony
🇮🇪 Galway, Ireland and 1 moreBrigid's crossCros Bhríde
A cross of woven rushes or straw, made for Saint Brigid's Day on the first of FebruaryCraft
🇮🇪 Ireland and 4 moreTrick-or-treating
A custom where children visit homes in costume to ask for treats or face a playful prank.Festival · Sweets given and shared
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreChristmas carol
Festive songs and hymns sung during the Christmas season and door to doorPerformance
🇨🇭 Aproz, Switzerland and 2 moreCombat de Reines
An annual Swiss pushing contest where Hérens cows compete for herd dominanceGame
🇬🇧 South Queensferry, United KingdomThe Burryman
A man clad in burdock burrs walks a Scottish town for a day, bringing luck as he goesFolklore
🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineBanduraБандура
A Ukrainian plucked string instrument played to accompany epic songs and folk balladsPerformance
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 1 moreBanushбануш
A Carpathian cornmeal porridge cooked with sour cream and savoury toppingsTable custom
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Jack-o'-lantern: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Bandura: Julianhayda, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Combat de Reines: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Trick-or-treating: Toyah Anette B, Public domain, source
- St. Mary's Trumpet Call: Jadwiga, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Christmas tree: Lechhansl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vasaloppet: Vasaloppet/Nisse Schmidt, CC BY 3.0, source
- Christmas: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Public domain, source
- Picnic: Thomas Cole, Public domain, source
- Imbolc: Culnacreann, CC BY 3.0, source
- Running of the bulls: The original uploader was Bernard bill5 at Dutch Wikipedia . Later ver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gákti: Thorguds, Public domain, source
- March of the Living: No machine-readable author provided. Efka de~commonswiki assumed (base, CC BY 2.5, source
- Olympic torch relay: DieselCat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- The Burryman: Oliver Benton, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Feast of Corpus Christi: Fennec ., Public domain, source
- Buekorps: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Hygge: Johan Wessman / News Oresund, CC BY 2.0, source
- Candlemas: Andrea Mantegna, Public domain, source
- Caffè: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jaanipäev: Jaan Künnap, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Greasy pole: Andrepoiy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Banush: Trzewik, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Holmenkollen Ski Festival: Ahhh25, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Handshake: Rufino, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Conclave: User Maus-Trauden on de.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Morris dance: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Pub quiz: JIP, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Glastonbury Festival: Czampal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Christmas carol: Prathyush Thomas, GFDL 1.2, source
- Sean-nós singing: Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Public domain, source
- April Fools' Day: Lars Andersen, Public domain, source
- Irish traditional music: Gtapp, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Faroese chain dance: Eileen Sandá, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Oberek: Józef Chełmoński, Public domain, source
- Camino de Santiago: stephenD, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Siesta: Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, source
- Pontifical Swiss Guard: The White House, Public domain, source
- Cicchetti: Benreis, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Finnish sauna: Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, source
- Kvæði: Eileen Sandá, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Christmas Eve: Carl Larsson, Public domain, source
- Valentine's Day: Upload: Chordboard, Public domain, source