How different countries celebrate the same holiday — surprising traditions and local customs.
Every country has a national day, but few celebrate with the pomp of France's Bastille Day military parade or the fervour of India's Republic Day. Explore how nations mark their most patriotic holidays.
Humans have gathered around bonfires for millennia, and fire festivals remain some of the most spectacular celebrations on Earth. From England's Guy Fawkes Night to Valencia's Las Fallas, fire carries powerful cultural meaning worldwide.
Boxing Day on 26 December is a public holiday across the Commonwealth, but what people actually do with the day varies enormously. In Australia, it is Test cricket. In Canada, it is a shopping frenzy. In the UK, it is football and leftovers.
Halloween began as Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival in Ireland, before Irish emigrants carried it to America and Hollywood turned it into a global phenomenon. Today, Tokyo, Paris, and Mexico City each celebrate their own version.
Ramadan is observed by nearly two billion Muslims, but the daily rhythms, iftar tables, and communal traditions vary enormously from Riyadh to Jakarta. Discover how geography and culture shape the experience of the holy month.
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the same lunar date across East Asia, but the celebrations in China, Vietnam, and South Korea are strikingly different. Mooncakes, lanterns, and ancestral rites each tell a unique cultural story.
St. Patrick's Day on 17 March has evolved far beyond its Irish roots. From Chicago's green river to Tokyo's Omotesando parade, the holiday is now a global celebration of Irish culture, community, and a good excuse for a party.
Munich's Oktoberfest draws six million visitors annually, but the festival has spawned hundreds of imitations worldwide. Brazil's Blumenau, Canada's Kitchener, and even China's Qingdao host their own versions of Bavaria's legendary beer celebration.
The stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve triggers wildly different superstitions and customs around the world. Spaniards stuff twelve grapes into their mouths, Danes smash plates against friends' doors, and Brazilians jump seven waves.
In Japan, women give chocolate to men on Valentine's Day, and men reciprocate a month later on White Day. This is just one of many ways the holiday diverges from its Western origins. Explore Valentine's traditions from Tokyo to Bogota.
Father's Day is celebrated on different dates and with vastly different customs around the world. In Germany, fathers hike with wagons full of beer. In Thailand, the holiday falls on the King's birthday. Explore how nations honour fatherhood.
Mother's Day is not a single global holiday but a patchwork of national traditions observed on different dates with different customs. From jasmine garlands in Thailand to simnel cake in the UK, the celebrations are as diverse as the mothers they honour.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, but the way it is celebrated varies dramatically. From Indonesia's massive mudik homecoming to Turkey's sugar-laden bayram, each country brings its own flavour to this global celebration.
Easter is far more than egg hunts and chocolate bunnies. From fiery midnight ceremonies in Greece to visceral reenactments in the Philippines, the holiday reveals the extraordinary range of Christian devotion worldwide.
Christmas in Asia ranges from a deeply religious occasion in the Philippines to a romantic date night in Japan. Discover how countries with tiny Christian populations have adopted and transformed the holiday into something entirely their own.
Golden Week is not one holiday but a cluster of consecutive holidays that effectively shuts down business across East Asia. Understanding Golden Week is essential for anyone working or travelling in the region.
Vesak, the most sacred day in Buddhism, commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha. Yet its celebration varies dramatically from country to country across Asia.
Water festivals are some of the most exhilarating celebrations on Earth. From Thailand's Songkran to Myanmar's Thingyan and the coloured water of Holi, getting drenched has never been so meaningful.
Thanksgiving is not uniquely American. From Canada to Japan to Ghana, cultures around the world hold festivals of gratitude for the harvest. Discover the global tradition of giving thanks.
Almost every nation on Earth marks an independence or national day. These celebrations reveal each country's unique history, values, and vision of itself through parades, speeches, and public festivities.
Carnival is celebrated in over fifty countries, but each culture puts its own stamp on the festivities. From Rio's samba to Venice's masks and New Orleans' Mardi Gras, explore the global carnival tradition.
New Year is the closest thing the world has to a universal holiday, yet no two countries celebrate it the same way. Explore the diverse traditions that mark midnight on 31 December and beyond.