Newly added
The latest traditions to join EveryTradition. More arrive every day.
🇦🇺 AustraliaGarma Festival of Traditional Cultures
A four-day cultural gathering in northeast Arnhem Land celebrating Yolngu traditions and fostering two-way learning.Festival
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreTamalada
A gathering where tamales are the main dish or a communal tamale-making party in Mexican and Hispanic cultures.Festival · Lunch
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaPenjorᬧᬾᬜ᭄ᬚᭀᬃ
A curved bamboo pole decorated with leaves and offerings, raised in Bali to mark Galungan and invite prosperity.Spiritual
🇲🇦 MoroccoChaabiشعبي
A North African music and dance tradition meaning 'of the people', played at weddings and festivals.Performance
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaChikankariچِکن کاری / चिकन की कढ़ाई / चिकनकारी
Delicate hand embroidery from Lucknow, India, featuring white-on-white floral patterns and intricate shadow-work stitcheCraft
🇯🇵 JapanEma絵馬
Small wooden plaques left at Japanese shrines and temples for prayers and wishes.Spiritual
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreKhordad Salخرداد روز
A Zoroastrian festival marking the birth of the prophet Zarathushtra with prayers and feasts.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaAtithi Devo Bhavaअतिथिदेवो भव
A traditional Indian Hindu philosophy and campaign that treats guests with the reverence due to deities.Etiquette
🇻🇺 Port Vila, VanuatuNakamal
A traditional meeting house in Vanuatu for community gatherings and the drinking of kava.Ceremony · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇰🇷 South KoreaJesa제사 (Jesa)
A Korean ancestral memorial ceremony held on death anniversaries and major holidays.Spiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 1 moreKyz kuu
A horse racing game where a man chases a woman to win a kiss or faces her whip if he fails.Game
🇮🇳 Guwahati, IndiaBihu dance
A folk dance from Assam that celebrates spring, fertility and the new year with energetic movement and music.Performance
🇺🇸 United StatesJingle dress
A healing dance and regalia worn by First Nations women at pow wows across North America.Performance
🇦🇪 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
🇬🇷 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
🇯🇵 Aomori, JapanAomori Nebuta Matsuri青森ねぶた祭
A summer festival in Aomori featuring large warrior floats and dancing participants.Festival
🇯🇵 JapanPindapata𑀧𑀺𑀡𑁆𑀟𑀘𑀸𑀭
A Buddhist almsround where monks walk through towns to receive food and necessities from laypeople.Spiritual
🇲🇳 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
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMumming
A medieval European custom of masked house-to-house visits, performances and seasonal revelry.Festival
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKuba textiles
Elaborate raffia cloths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known for their complex geometric embroidery and velvCraft
🇮🇳 Nanded, IndiaGurpurabਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
A Sikh festival marking the birth or martyrdom of a Guru with prayers, processions and community meals.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandCoronation of the Thai monarchพระราชพิธีบรมราชาภิเษก
A consecration ceremony blending Hindu and Buddhist rites to formally install the King of Thailand.Ceremony
🇫🇯 FijiTabua
A polished sperm whale tooth traded as a sacred gift in Fijian ceremonies and negotiations.Ceremony
🇳🇵 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
🇹🇱 Dili, Timor-Leste and 1 moreTais
Traditional hand-woven cloth of East Timor, worn as dress or used in ceremonies and exchange.Dress
🇧🇧 BarbadosTuk band
A Barbadian musical ensemble with costumed figures that blends African drumming and British military traditions.Performance
🇧🇩 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
🇲🇱 MaliMahrمهر
A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride in Islamic marriages, serving as her financial security.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Thrissur, IndiaKerala mural painting
Frescoes of Hindu deities painted on temple and palace walls in Kerala, India.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
🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreSabar
A traditional Wolof and Serer drum played in Senegal and The Gambia, accompanying dance at weddings and festivals.Performance
🇮🇳 Alappuzha, IndiaNehru Trophy Boat Race
An annual longboat race held on Punnamada Lake in Kerala, India.Festival
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBasque rural sportsHerri kirolak
Stone lifting, wood chopping and oxen tests, born of Basque farm and fishing workGame
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreQuilting bee
A communal gathering where people stitch quilts together while sharing news and strengthening community bonds.Festival
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreGadaa
An eight-year democratic governance cycle practiced by the Oromo people of Ethiopia and Kenya.Ceremony
🇫🇯 FijiMeke
A traditional Fijian dance and song form performed by groups at celebrations.Performance
🇿🇦 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
🇯🇵 JapanJichinsai地鎮祭
A Shinto ritual to ask the land spirits for protection before building a new home or structure.Spiritual
🇬🇧 Hinton St George, United KingdomPunkie Night
A Somerset Halloween custom where children carry mangelwurzel lanterns and sing for candles.Festival
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreHousewarming party
A gathering held soon after moving into a new home to celebrate the space and welcome guests.Home
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTribal youth dormitoryMorung
A communal house where a tribe's unmarried young people sleep, learn and serveRite of passage
🇺🇸 New York, United StatesGhost Dance
A circle dance ceremony kept by Native American communities to reunite with ancestors and restore peace.Spiritual
🇹🇭 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
🇬🇪 GeorgiaTamadaთამადა
The toastmaster who leads the Georgian supra, guiding toasts and conversation at feasts.Etiquette
🇳🇿 Auckland, New ZealandTā moko
The traditional permanent tattooing of the Māori people of New Zealand, marking identity and status.Rite of passage
🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, SpainBotafumeiro
A giant swinging censer of brass and silver that fills the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral with incense during solemn fSpiritual
🇮🇳 Amritsar, India and 1 moreGatkaਗੱਤਕਾ (Gurmukhi) / گَتّکا (Shahmukhi)
A Sikh martial art of stick-fighting and sword dance from the Punjab region.Performance
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBertsolaritza
Improvised songs sung in Basque, rhymed on the spot at contests and gatheringsPerformance
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreTamalada
A gathering where tamales are the main dish or a communal tamale-making party in Mexican and Hispanic cultures.Festival · Lunch
🇮🇩 Bali, IndonesiaPenjorᬧᬾᬜ᭄ᬚᭀᬃ
A curved bamboo pole decorated with leaves and offerings, raised in Bali to mark Galungan and invite prosperity.Spiritual
🇲🇦 MoroccoChaabiشعبي
A North African music and dance tradition meaning 'of the people', played at weddings and festivals.Performance
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaChikankariچِکن کاری / चिकन की कढ़ाई / चिकनकारी
Delicate hand embroidery from Lucknow, India, featuring white-on-white floral patterns and intricate shadow-work stitcheCraft
🇯🇵 JapanEma絵馬
Small wooden plaques left at Japanese shrines and temples for prayers and wishes.Spiritual
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreKhordad Salخرداد روز
A Zoroastrian festival marking the birth of the prophet Zarathushtra with prayers and feasts.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 IndiaAtithi Devo Bhavaअतिथिदेवो भव
A traditional Indian Hindu philosophy and campaign that treats guests with the reverence due to deities.Etiquette
🇻🇺 Port Vila, VanuatuNakamal
A traditional meeting house in Vanuatu for community gatherings and the drinking of kava.Ceremony · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇰🇷 South KoreaJesa제사 (Jesa)
A Korean ancestral memorial ceremony held on death anniversaries and major holidays.Spiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 1 moreKyz kuu
A horse racing game where a man chases a woman to win a kiss or faces her whip if he fails.Game
🇮🇳 Guwahati, IndiaBihu dance
A folk dance from Assam that celebrates spring, fertility and the new year with energetic movement and music.Performance
🇺🇸 United StatesJingle dress
A healing dance and regalia worn by First Nations women at pow wows across North America.Performance
🇦🇪 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
🇬🇷 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
🇯🇵 Aomori, JapanAomori Nebuta Matsuri青森ねぶた祭
A summer festival in Aomori featuring large warrior floats and dancing participants.Festival
🇯🇵 JapanPindapata𑀧𑀺𑀡𑁆𑀟𑀘𑀸𑀭
A Buddhist almsround where monks walk through towns to receive food and necessities from laypeople.Spiritual
🇲🇳 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
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMumming
A medieval European custom of masked house-to-house visits, performances and seasonal revelry.Festival
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the CongoKuba textiles
Elaborate raffia cloths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known for their complex geometric embroidery and velvCraft
🇮🇳 Nanded, IndiaGurpurabਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
A Sikh festival marking the birth or martyrdom of a Guru with prayers, processions and community meals.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandCoronation of the Thai monarchพระราชพิธีบรมราชาภิเษก
A consecration ceremony blending Hindu and Buddhist rites to formally install the King of Thailand.Ceremony
🇫🇯 FijiTabua
A polished sperm whale tooth traded as a sacred gift in Fijian ceremonies and negotiations.Ceremony
🇳🇵 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
🇹🇱 Dili, Timor-Leste and 1 moreTais
Traditional hand-woven cloth of East Timor, worn as dress or used in ceremonies and exchange.Dress
🇧🇧 BarbadosTuk band
A Barbadian musical ensemble with costumed figures that blends African drumming and British military traditions.Performance
🇧🇩 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
🇲🇱 MaliMahrمهر
A mandatory gift from the groom to the bride in Islamic marriages, serving as her financial security.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Thrissur, IndiaKerala mural painting
Frescoes of Hindu deities painted on temple and palace walls in Kerala, India.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
🇸🇳 Senegal and 1 moreSabar
A traditional Wolof and Serer drum played in Senegal and The Gambia, accompanying dance at weddings and festivals.Performance
🇮🇳 Alappuzha, IndiaNehru Trophy Boat Race
An annual longboat race held on Punnamada Lake in Kerala, India.Festival
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBasque rural sportsHerri kirolak
Stone lifting, wood chopping and oxen tests, born of Basque farm and fishing workGame
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreQuilting bee
A communal gathering where people stitch quilts together while sharing news and strengthening community bonds.Festival
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreGadaa
An eight-year democratic governance cycle practiced by the Oromo people of Ethiopia and Kenya.Ceremony
🇫🇯 FijiMeke
A traditional Fijian dance and song form performed by groups at celebrations.Performance
🇿🇦 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
🇯🇵 JapanJichinsai地鎮祭
A Shinto ritual to ask the land spirits for protection before building a new home or structure.Spiritual
🇬🇧 Hinton St George, United KingdomPunkie Night
A Somerset Halloween custom where children carry mangelwurzel lanterns and sing for candles.Festival
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreHousewarming party
A gathering held soon after moving into a new home to celebrate the space and welcome guests.Home
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTribal youth dormitoryMorung
A communal house where a tribe's unmarried young people sleep, learn and serveRite of passage
🇺🇸 New York, United StatesGhost Dance
A circle dance ceremony kept by Native American communities to reunite with ancestors and restore peace.Spiritual
🇹🇭 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
🇬🇪 GeorgiaTamadaთამადა
The toastmaster who leads the Georgian supra, guiding toasts and conversation at feasts.Etiquette
🇳🇿 Auckland, New ZealandTā moko
The traditional permanent tattooing of the Māori people of New Zealand, marking identity and status.Rite of passage
🇪🇸 Santiago de Compostela, SpainBotafumeiro
A giant swinging censer of brass and silver that fills the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral with incense during solemn fSpiritual
🇮🇳 Amritsar, India and 1 moreGatkaਗੱਤਕਾ (Gurmukhi) / گَتّکا (Shahmukhi)
A Sikh martial art of stick-fighting and sword dance from the Punjab region.Performance
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreBertsolaritza
Improvised songs sung in Basque, rhymed on the spot at contests and gatheringsPerformance
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chuseok: by Joseph Steinberg (Baltimoron in Korea) at Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Meke: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Gurpurab: Gill Gagandeep, 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
- Yowlah: Sharon Harper, CC BY 2.0, source
- Jingle dress: Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bihu dance: Digantatalukdar, CC0, source
- Kyz kuu: SSGT JEREMY T. LOCK, Public domain, source
- Nakamal: Phillip Capper, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ema: No machine-readable author provided. Fg2 assumed (based on copyright c, Public domain, source
- Chikankari: Joey Berzowska, CC BY 2.0, source
- Penjor: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tamalada: Tania Solá (WMMX), CC BY-SA 4.0, source