Traditions

An interesting festival that celebrates fertility and openness that welcomes everyone!

One of the most unusual festivals in Europe, where snakes wrap the statue of San Domenico

50,000 yellow rubber ducks are splashed into the Chicago River to fundraise for the Special Olympics Illinois

'I was walking in a green forest, I saw a blue violet, it had started to wilt, may I sprinkle it?' – this is what the men ask the women on this holiday before sprinkling them with water

December marks the peak of colorful religious celebrations held monthly in Andacollo

The Big Round-Up. An event that takes place in the countryside and, as unusual as it sounds, includes sheep and romance

Spain has many crazy customs, witness one of them and try it during the Triana festivities

Follow the Burry Man throughout the streets of Queensferry as he drinks whisky and spreads good luck

An amazing tradition of constructing human towers

Join the Feast of the Ascension celebration featuring a symbolic marriage ceremony

For Sami, the people who live in Northern Lapland, reindeer means life itself

Alaskan lands remember the times of the great Gold Rush. Moreover, there is still a chance to get some gold! Are you ready to face this challenge?

The 500-year-old​ traditions with bonfires and parades of fearsome monsters unfold on the bank of the Danube, making one of the strangest and most unforgettable events in Hungary

New Zealand rugby players keep spectators electrified during the entire match starting with vigorous haka cries

Celebrate the return of the cattle from pastures in anticipation of winter together with locals around Lake Bohinj

Taking sheep up or bringing them down from the mountains is a great occasion to celebrate folk traditions in a hillside village

A little medieval town of Guardia Sanframondi situated about 60 km from Naples, hosts the mystical medieval event every seven years

A unique fishing tradition is still preserved in Oostduinkerke

A mixture of pagan and Christian traditions, Lomisoba is a colorful insight into Georgian culture

One of the most notorious festivals in Thailand that does not have that much common with vegetarianism

It means hundreds of fluffy sheep running along the street of Te Kuiti, the world's shearing capital

A colorful pagan celebration of Albania

Do you love guinea pigs or 'cuy' in the same way as Peruvians do?

The lighted kayak procession along the Nyhavn canal is the main highlight of the festival, celebrated with candle parades

A unique event held annually in Bavaria. When cows come back home, the locals greet them and celebrate their return

Once this kind of fishing was a necessity, now it is fading away

In order to attract eels, Japanese fishermen use an interesting technique. Check it out for yourself!

The fascinating tribe has preserved traditions and way of life

Time your visit to see hundreds of Ukrainians wearing their traditional embroidered shirts

Professional shamans will connect you with spirits, but listen carefully as maybe your ancestors are trying to tell you something

Watch the locals paint their iconic houses white and blue every spring

Perhaps, the most important plant in the Ukrainian culture. Taste kalyna's bitter but healthy fruit in the fall months.

Do you believe in miracles? Many locals swear by Ekeko, the Andean god of abundance, claiming he can turn small trinkets into big blessings

A large traditional festival in the center of Tokyo

This scary demon can frighten even adults, so be sure you are ready to meet Krampus!

One of three most important festivals in Tokyo

One of the oldest Bulgarian traditions dates back to Thracian times, from the 5th to 1st century BC

The tuna fishing is a traditional activity for Sicily, that is considered sustainable and humane

Check out mysterious rites performed by indigenous Ifugao Shamans

This festival reveals the secrets of compassion and peace through sacred dances and ritualistic music

Gun salutes mark special occasions in London often associated with the Royal Family

Don't be surprised if you see vans full of highschool kids waving and shouting to you

Definitely the wettest in Japan! This water-throwing festival brings both happiness and prosperity

One of the oldest fishing traditions in the world, Ukai fishing is a fascinating practice. Check out just how it's done!

The festival of the Goddess of the Sea is a holiday for the Brazilian religion—Umbanda

Imagine nativity scenes composed of carved radish, corn husks, and dried flowers!

A bizarre pagan show with straw bears, gypsies, and evil spirits occurs every winter in a small Bukovyna village

An unusual Catalan tradition—a defecating man in a nativity scene

Celebrated nationwide, this festival brings color and romance to daily life!

Rural Lao weddings are a great demonstration of national traditions. Hopefully some friends will invite you over

​You heard of water fights at Songkran, Thailand, and you definitely saw your neighbour's kids splashing water in the summer. But Wet Monday is nothing you have seen so far!

The healthy yet odd custom fourty days after Easter

For many travelers to Myanmar, the most notable sight is the yellowish paste called Thanaka, painted on the faces of Burmese women and children

Would you plunge into the icy waters in the middle of winter?

An ancient and unique Dance of the Death

The Russ are wearing red pants inside out and red caps with a string of knots celebrating graduation

Hypnotizing sounds seem to be coming from the afterlife—Mongolian singing must be the weirdest traditional music in the world

Come to Galicia to observe the unique wild mountain horses get rounded up, trimmed and marked

One of the most prominent festivals that pays homage to the mischievous macaques

The image of a parting sea evokes a figure of Moses and the Red Sea, but in the Korean version the miracle happens to a woman at the Yellow Sea

An authentic and unique Maya ritual

A 22-hour procession is believed to heal and give miraculous powers

One of the most authentic festivals, it's dedicated to the victory of Boruca tribe over Spanish invadors​

Scary rituals of self-flagellation are part of the annual mourning for the Prophet Muhammad's grandson

If you like extreme heat, take part in an incredible festival for sauna lovers

Until recently Chinese "Rapunzels" didn't show their loose hair to anyone but to their husbands and children. Nowadays the rules are milder—married women may unveil their beauty in public

The city of Malmo is known for its unusual Christmas decorations

The unusual Christmas tree of Georgia

Wonder how one can dress warm and look stylish at the same time when it is -30 to -40 °C outside?—Mongolians know perfectly well how!

Saint Theodore's Day refers to the seasonal winter holidays and the greeting of spring

Dancing on hot-red coals will definitely become one of your favorite tourist attractions in Bulgaria

Elephants are remarkable creatures, so it's only fitting that they have a day entirely devoted to them

Though cruel and bloody, this event symbolizes the fight for freedom in Peru

Check out how the simple entertainment of Indian villagers turned into an annual international event

Any plans for Christmas? What about taking part in a traditional fight in Peru?

Tens of thousands come to see annual fox hunt and ride, an amusing long-established tradition from 1900, and don't worry—not a single animal is going to suffer

The festival in northern Thailand celebrates young boys entering monasteries with three days of colorful traditions

Celebrate the arrival of winter and the end of the year

One of the city’s most iconic sights, a window into the pungent, natural process of producing world-class leather using methods that have changed little since medieval times

On the examination day, friends and parents gather at school gates to pray for examinees and cheer them up—all want to pass the exam with a perfect score

At Famadihana festival Malagasy families dance with the dead

The town of Romont is home to an unusual Easter tradition

An incredibly romantic way to discover the beauty of Venice

Did you know that impossible became truely possible? Master the art of flying with Shaolin monks

The unique festival of Cham ethnic minority group Kate that expresses their respect to the gods by colourful performance

Every Tuesday at 10 pm, everyone in the student complex in Stockholm opens their windows and screams for several minutes

London celebrates an 800-year-old tradition as the iconic golden coach takes the mayor to the Queen

The largest quilts expo in the world

An essential must-go event when visiting Florida's Keys

To worship the Water Goddess, people of Do Son district organize the buffalo fighting festival

If you're up for something out of the ordinary check out this temple where rats are treated like pets!

The ceremony marks the start of the rice growing season with sacred oxen that plough the field​ across the Royal Palace

See the unique "Bun grabbing contest" as participants climb enormous bamboo towers covered with buns at the Cheung Chau Bun Festival

Learn the tobacco rolling craft in cigars capital of the world

The Birthday of Tam Kung is a great chance to experience the rich culture and traditions of modern Hong Kong

One of the most notorious festivals in the world, the pig-chopping festival in Nem Thuong raises both approval and criticism (note: violent content)

The period lasting for a month when monks are offered various goods is also known as Thod Kathin or Kathina

A figure known for his womanizing, heavy drinking, and chain-smoking habits is venerated as a saint

Abiding by medieval traditions the masked townspeople of Agnita slap horsewhips to drive off evil winter spirits

If you've never tried anything like maneuvering a cart driven by a cow, or catching grasshoopers, this festival offers some new funny experiences

The occasion has nothing to do with fists and punching, but rather boxes full of gifts

The celebration of Khmer ethnic group dedicated to the deity of moon

Raising money for a cause is always a good idea, even if it means jumping into the frosty Lake Michigan!

Join in on one of Poland's unique Carnival traditions by tasting a piece of pickled herring, a classic and flavorful treat

Isn't it your lifetime dream to race in a cart of food between the neighbourhood bars?

The combination of a Buddhist holiday and a modern festival

The versatile and fascinating Sami culture is built around good-natured reindeer, Sami legends, food, and intriguing folk music

Come and see how insects, which are so important for the economic life of the Canary Islands, are grown in cactus fields

On that day people worship dragon hoping for good harvest and rains

A fun wine barrel race in a picturesque old town of Montepulciano

Keeping Lent might be challenging, but not when you start it in a tasty way

The swans are surrounded with special attention in England

A spectacular fiesta with heart-shaped flower structures

If while visiting a monastery you are stroked with a wooden phallus on the head, it means you have been blessed

The Old Year Dummies flood the streets of the Panamanian cities and villages symbolizing the approaching end of the year

While visiting a football game, you can see and hear the biggest drum in the world supporting its team

Every year, a tree is erected in the city to commemorate the victory of Brussels over the city of Leuven

Try an old Danish tradition of 'tilting at the cat in the barrel'

The combination of the ninth day and the ninth month brings good luck, and the chrysanthemum is a symbol of that day

Adorned with horns and fangs, the demonic creature from Alpine folklore creeps through the streets of Portland

An incredible work of art which lasts for just a few hours

A small village of Conca dei Marini yearly celebrates the renowned Santa Rosa Sfogliatella cake

An ancient Catalan tradition—stick dancing

Spring arrival is always celebrated by Daruma doll fair at the Jindai-ji temple in Tokyo

One of the most funny and quirky festivals in the USA

A family-oriented celebration of winter solstice

Tradition in Fiji, similar to the Catholic and Orthodox caroling season

Drop your pants, if you are not too shy

The day that starts with a prayer ends with a fierce battle of the rice cakes

Walk three times around the fortress with a stone on your head—and you'll live a long, happy, and healthy life ever after

It is a gesture of courtesy to present a "martisor" to a woman for the beginning of spring and a guarantee of good luck

In the city of Jarandilla de la Vera, locals celebrate an important holiday by hitting each other with brooms of fire

A special ceremony to welcome spring by throwing soybeans

The Bun Day is a fun holiday representing a family tradition and includes yummy delicacies

The day before the beginning of Lent when English families prepare a hearty meal with pancakes

A celebration of Christmas and everyone's favorite Alpine monster

One of the traditional decorations for Tet is the bamboo tree planted in front of the house

Being there and watching the performance is an excellent way to dive into the traditional religious atmosphere of Tibet

Originally Indian, the festival honours the god of sun. It is celebrated only in Terai region of Nepal

The tradition to decorate houses and streets for Lunar New Year turns Vietnam into a colourful spectacle

Magical fortune telling with a help of spoon and silver

Dozens of local agencies benefit from the teddy bears provided every holiday season in Calgary

Bring stuffed toys to hockey matches to support a heart-melting charity activity

A Newar festival that celebrates the expulsion of the demons from the country

The festival to commemorate the deaths of people throughout the year, is a picturesque one and unique to Kathmandu Valley and its Newar and Tharu communities

On Easter Monday, there is a high probability of meeting a strange man dressed up as an untidy woman, whose face is blackened with soot. Don’t get scared, this is Siuda Baba–a traditional Polish character

How about discovering the joy and meaning of life through experiencing your own fake funeral?