All wedding traditions
671 traditions so far, best known first. 354 more are on the list to be written. Filter by region, kind and stage of the wedding.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 morePantunڤنتون
A Malayic oral poetry form used in wedding greetings and daily communication to express ideas through rhyme.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇿 Astana, Kazakhstan and 3 moreKara JorgaQara jorğa
A traditional Kazakh song and dance that mimics the ambling gait of a horse.Performance
🇺🇬 UgandaLarakaraka
An Acholi courtship dance where young men display agility to attract a partner.Play · Engagement and betrothal
🇷🇼 Rwanda and 1 moreIntore
A traditional Rwandan and Burundian war dance performed by men to celebrate heroism and historyPerformance · The wedding feast
🇺🇬 Uganda and 1 moreEkikibi
A circular dance by the Bakonzo that mimics swimming fish to celebrate marriage.Performance · The ceremony
🇺🇬 UgandaEkitaguriro
A traditional Ankole dance celebrating cattle and community milestones like marriage.Performance · The wedding feast
🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreTsifteteliτσιφτετέλι (Greek), Çiftetelli (Turkish)
A belly dance rhythm from Anatolia and the Balkans performed primarily by womenPerformance
🇧🇷 Salvador, BrazilPuxada de Rede
A Brazilian dance that reenacts the tragic retrieval of a fisherman's body from the sea.Performance · The weeks before
🇷🇴 Romania and 1 morePerinița
A Romanian circle dance where a pillow marks the last partner dance for unmarried youth before a wedding.Performance · The eve
🇬🇧 United KingdomNantgarw DancesDawnsfeydd Nantgarw
A Welsh folk dance style from south Wales featuring handkerchiefs and sticks.Performance
🇲🇷 MauritaniaT'heydinnالتهيدين (al-T'haydīn)
A Mauritanian Moorish epic performance of poetry and music kept by griot families.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇭🇷 Croatia and 2 moreBećarac
A humorous folk song sung at weddings and village parties in Eastern CroatiaPerformance · The wedding feast
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 2 moreQaytarma
A Crimean Tatar folk dance of cyclical motion performed at weddings and holidays.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇹 Siena, ItalyMarch of the PalioMarcia del Palio
The brass anthem played during the historical parade before Siena's horse race.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇬🇭 Ghana and 1 moreBorborbor
A lively drumming and dance tradition of the Ewe people in Ghana and TogoPerformance · The wedding feast
🇺🇬 UgandaTamena Ibuga
A traditional Soga dance from Busoga that celebrates unity and harvest through energetic drumming.Performance · The wedding feast
🇺🇬 UgandaBakisimba
A lively Baganda circle dance performed at weddings and royal ceremonies in Uganda.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreKlezmerקלעזמער
The instrumental dance music played by Ashkenazi Jewish musicians at weddings in Eastern Europe and beyondPerformance · Engagement and betrothal
🇰🇷 South KoreaSeungjeonmu승전무
A Korean court dance that celebrates military victory and honors Admiral Yi Sun-sin.Performance
🇭🇳 Honduras and 1 moreMatamuerte
A humorous Garifuna dance about finding a body on the beachPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇭🇷 CroatiaZa križen
A night-long Maundy Thursday procession on Hvar island that honors the Weeping of the Lady.Blessing · The weeks before
🇨🇦 Canada and 5 moreLoyal toast
A formal salute to the head of state given at official gatherings in Commonwealth realms and other nations.Vow · The wedding feast
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates and 1 moreNadbaالندبة
A ceremonial battle cry and dance performed by the Shihuh tribe of the Musandam Peninsula.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Crete, Greece and 1 moreSyrtosΣυρτός
A traditional Greek line dance where partners hold hands and follow a leader through slow and quick steps.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇻🇳 Hội An, VietnamBài Chòi
A sung card game played in huts during Vietnamese New Year festivalsPerformance · The weeks before
🇬🇧 Newquay, United KingdomTroyl
A Cornish barn dance or social gathering featuring music, song, and communal dancing.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇰🇪 Kenya and 1 moreAdumuEnkipaata or Aigus
The high-jumping warrior dance performed by the Maasai at weddings and rites of passage.Performance · The ceremony
🇧🇷 Recife, BrazilFrevo
A fast, acrobatic dance and musical style from Recife that turns Carnival street parades into a display of agility.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreČočekčočек (Serbian/Macedonian), кючек (Bulgarian), çyçek/qyqek (Albanian), sistemul (Romanian), Tsifteteli (Greek)
A Balkan wedding dance with a distinctive nine-beat rhythm, kept alive by Romani musicians and village celebrations.Performance · The wedding feast
🇺🇬 UgandaOkeme
A lively Lango folk dance performed at weddings to bring the community together.Performance · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLuddi
A circle dance of Punjab performed at weddings and celebrations by men and women.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic and 2 moreBachata
A social couple dance from the Dominican Republic known for its eight-count step and hip movements.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreLaternelaufen
A lantern procession held by children in Germany and Austria on St. Martin's Day to celebrate sharing and light.Blessing · The weeks before
🇲🇽 Guadalajara, MexicoJarabe Tapatío
A courtship dance from Guadalajara that uses a hat and flirtatious steps to symbolize Mexican identity.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇬🇷 Corfu, GreeceBotidesμπότηδες
The throwing of clay pots filled with water from balconies in Corfu on Holy Saturday to mark the Resurrection.Blessing · The ceremony
🇰🇷 Gwangju, South KoreaGeommu검무 (Geommu)
A graceful Korean sword dance performed with dual short swords and traditional musicPerformance
🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary and 5 moreTáncház
A Hungarian folk dance gathering that keeps traditional music and steps alive in homes and community halls.Performance
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 moreEaster palmPolish: palma wielkanocna; Lithuanian: verba
A decorated willow or juniper bundle blessed on Palm Sunday to protect homes and crops.Blessing · The weeks before
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreVirginia reel
A line dance where couples move through a series of set figures in two parallel rows.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇮🇳 Patiala, IndiaParanda
A silk thread hair ornament worn by Punjabi women during weddings and festivals.Adornment · The weeks before
🇩🇿 Algeria and 3 moreSebibaسبيبة (Arabic), ⵙⴱⵉⴱⴰ (Tifinagh)
The Tuareg New Year dance and festival held in Djanet to mark the end of a chaotic transition period.Performance · The weeks before
🇬🇷 Crete, GreeceSoustaΣούστα
A Greek courtship dance performed at weddings to display romance and agility.Performance · Procession and arrival
🇧🇪 Belgium and 1 moreProcessional giants and dragonsGéants et dragons processionnels
Large costumed figures carried in street festivals across Belgium and France.Setting · Procession and arrival
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreZwiefacher
A Bavarian couple dance that shifts between three and two beats per measure.Performance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇭🇺 Hungary and 2 moreEaster sprinkling in Hungaryhúsvéti locsolás
An Easter Monday custom where boys sprinkle water or perfume on girls and receive painted eggs in return.Betrothal · The weeks before
🇨🇳 ChinaHebao荷包 (Hébāo)
A traditional Chinese embroidered pouch used for gifts, medicine, and romantic tokens.Adornment · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and 2 moreMezmarمزمار
A Saudi stick dance performed at weddings with drums and bamboo canesPerformance · Reception, dance and gifts
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreKarsilamaskarşılama (Turkish), καρσιλαμάς (Greek)
A face-to-face folk dance in 9/8 time that marks the joy of wedding gatherings across the Aegean.Performance · The wedding feast
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Pantun: Nurmalinda Maharfar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kara Jorga: Ulan Alimbek, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Larakaraka: Tabwoch, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Intore: Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ekitaguriro: Aubry Arihona, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Puxada de Rede: SebáNeto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nantgarw Dances: Tabulabells, CC0, source
- Qaytarma: Gottfried Heinrich Geißler, Public domain, source
- Borborbor: Noahalorwu, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bakisimba: Kalungi Nathan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Klezmer: Syrena Records (Warsaw), Public domain, source
- Za križen: E.mil.mil, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Loyal toast: Alaxander W. Galbraith, Public domain, source
- Nadba: Saeeddon1, CC0, source
- Syrtos: Muriel Pécastaing-Boissière pour Cédric Boissière, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bài Chòi: Lưu Ly ( thảo luận ), CC BY 3.0, source
- Adumu: K15photos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Frevo: Prefeitura de Olinda, CC BY 2.0, source
- Čoček: Модернист, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Okeme: Emma Oruk, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bachata: Salsauom, CC0, source
- Jarabe Tapatío: Salvador alc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Laternelaufen: Heinrich Hermanns, Public domain, source
- Botides: Gkaridis0, CC BY 4.0, source
- Geommu: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Easter palm: Evaldas Liutkus, CC BY 2.0, source
- Paranda: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, source
- Sebiba: Abderrahmane boudjenane, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sousta: psyberartist, CC BY 2.0, source
- Processional giants and dragons: No machine-readable author provided. Carolus assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY 2.5, source
- Easter sprinkling in Hungary: Matyófolk, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Karsilamas: Maximilian Dörrbecker ( Chumwa ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source