This page lists 42 holidays that start with K, from “Kwanzaa” to “Kuwait National Day”. The list covers religious festivals, national days, harvest celebrations, and local street events from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. You can use it to plan a trip, learn about other cultures, or find ideas for a class project or community event.
Holidays are special days set aside by a community or country to mark a belief, a historical event, or a shared tradition. Some are small village rituals, while “Kumbh Mela” draws tens of millions of pilgrims to the banks of sacred rivers in India.
Below you’ll find the table with the holiday, date, country or region, traditions, and description for each entry.
Holiday: The name of each celebration, so you can quickly spot the one you are looking for and see how it is spelled.
Date: When the holiday takes place, either on a fixed day or by a lunar or religious calendar, so you can plan ahead.
Country/Region: Where the holiday is mainly celebrated, from single cities to whole countries, so you know where to go to see it.
Traditions: The main customs and activities people take part in, such as feasts, parades, rituals, and special clothing, so you know what to expect.
Description: A short summary of what the holiday means, where it comes from, and why people celebrate it, giving you useful background.
Holidays
| Holiday | Date | Country/Region | Traditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwanzaa | Dec 26 to Jan 1 | United States (African American communities) | Lighting a kinara candleholder, sharing a feast called Karamu, giving handmade gifts |
| Krishna Janmashtami | August or September (8th day of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada) | India, Nepal, and Hindu communities worldwide | Fasting until midnight, devotional songs, reenactments of Krishna’s life, Dahi Handi pot-breaking |
| Kartik Purnima | Full moon of Kartika (October or November) | India, Nepal | Holy dips in rivers, floating lamps, lighting oil lamps at temples |
| Karva Chauth | October or November (4th day after the full moon of Kartik) | Northern and western India | Daylong fast by married women, moon sighting, decorating hands with henna |
| Kali Puja | New moon night in October or November | West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Bangladesh | Midnight worship of the goddess Kali, offerings of hibiscus flowers, fireworks, lamps |
| Kojagari Lakshmi Puja | Full moon after Durga Puja (October) | West Bengal, Odisha, Bangladesh, Assam | Staying awake all night, worshipping Lakshmi, decorating floors with rice-paste designs |
| Kharchi Puja | July (during Ashadha month) | Tripura, India | Worship of the fourteen gods at Chaturdasha Devata temple, fairs, ritual bathing of deity heads |
| Kumbh Mela | Every 12 years at each of four sites, with a Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj | India (Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik) | Mass ritual bathing in sacred rivers, processions of holy men, religious discourses |
| Kite Festival | January 14 (Makar Sankranti) | Gujarat, India | Kite flying contests, flying kites from rooftops, eating sesame and jaggery sweets |
| Kodomo no Hi | May 5 | Japan | Hanging carp streamers (koinobori), displaying samurai dolls, eating kashiwa mochi, taking iris-leaf baths |
| Kanamara Matsuri | First Sunday of April | Kawasaki, Japan | Parade of phallic mikoshi shrines, candy and carved vegetables, fundraising for HIV research |
| Kanda Matsuri | Mid-May in odd-numbered years | Tokyo, Japan | Portable shrine processions, traditional music, parades in Edo-period dress |
| Kanto Matsuri | August 3 to 6 | Akita, Japan | Balancing tall bamboo poles hung with paper lanterns on the forehead, hands, and shoulders |
| Kishiwada Danjiri Festival | September and October | Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan | Racing heavy wooden carts through street corners at high speed |
| Kurama Fire Festival | October 22 | Kyoto, Japan | Carrying large burning torches through the village, shouts of “Saire, Saryo” |
| Kamakura Festival | February 15 and 16 | Yokote, Akita, Japan | Snow huts with altars to the water god, grilling mochi, children inviting visitors in for amazake |
| Keiro no Hi | Third Monday of September | Japan | Family visits, gifts for grandparents, community events for seniors |
| Kenkoku Kinen no Hi | February 11 | Japan | Flag displays, ceremonies, parades |
| Kinro Kansha no Hi | November 23 | Japan | Community events, handmade thank-you gifts, school lessons about work |
| Khao Phansa | July (day after the Asalha Puja full moon) | Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar | Offering candles and robes to monks, monks staying in temples, giving up bad habits |
| Kathina | Within a month after the end of Buddhist Lent (October to November) | Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka | Presenting new robes to monks, processions, temple donations |
| Kaamatan Festival | May 30 and 31 | Sabah, Malaysia | Thanksgiving rituals to the rice spirit, tapai rice wine, traditional dances, Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant |
| Kadayawan Festival | Third week of August | Davao City, Philippines | Street dancing, floral floats, fruit displays, indigenous tribal performances |
| Kartini Day | April 21 | Indonesia | Wearing traditional kebaya dress, school ceremonies, speeches on women’s rights |
| Kuningan | Every 210 days, 10 days after Galungan | Bali, Indonesia | Offering yellow rice, prayers at temples, hanging decorations on penjor poles |
| Kasada Festival | 14th day of the Kasada month in the Tengger calendar (usually June or July) | Mount Bromo, East Java, Indonesia | Throwing rice, fruit, vegetables, and livestock into the volcano crater |
| Kamehameha Day | June 11 | Hawaii, United States | Draping leis on the King Kamehameha statues, parades, hula performances |
| Kuomboka | March or April (end of the rainy season) | Western Province, Zambia | Royal barge journey of the Litunga, drumming, paddlers in red, ceremonial dress |
| Kwita Izina | Early September | Rwanda | Naming baby mountain gorillas at Volcanoes National Park, cultural performances, conservation events |
| Kundum Festival | August to September | Western Region, Ghana | Drumming, dancing, driving out evil spirits, feasting |
| Kaapse Klopse | January 2 | Cape Town, South Africa | Minstrel street parades in colorful costumes, banjos and brass bands, singing competitions |
| Kupala Night | June 23 to 24 (or July 6 to 7 on the Julian calendar) | Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Lithuania | Jumping over bonfires, weaving flower wreaths, searching for the fern blossom, bathing at night |
| Krampusnacht | December 5 | Austria, Bavaria (Germany), Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic | Parades of costumed Krampus figures, rattling chains and bells, switches given to misbehaving children |
| Kekri | Around October 31 to early November | Finland, Estonia | Harvest feasts, offerings to spirits, cleaning the house, marking the end of the farming year |
| Kukeri | Winter, often New Year’s Eve through Lent (January to March) | Bulgaria | Costumed dancers in animal masks with large bells, jumping and dancing through villages |
| Kirkpinar Festival | Late June or early July | Edirne, Turkey | Oil wrestling matches, music, parades, honoring the champion with the golden belt |
| Kataklysmos | 50 days after Orthodox Easter (Pentecost Monday) | Cyprus | Splashing water on one another, boat races, swimming, folk music, seaside fairs |
| King’s Day | April 27 | Netherlands | Wearing orange, street flea markets (vrijmarkt), boat parades in Amsterdam, music festivals |
| Kalevala Day | February 28 | Finland | Flag flying, readings from the epic, cultural events |
| Kyiv Day | Last Sunday of May | Kyiv, Ukraine | Concerts, street fairs, parades, fireworks |
| Kosovo Independence Day | February 17 | Kosovo | Flag displays, parades, concerts, fireworks |
| Kuwait National Day | February 25 | Kuwait | Street decorations, fireworks, parades, flag displays, water balloon fights |
Descriptions
Kwanzaa
A seven-day celebration of African heritage created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga. Each day focuses on one of seven principles, such as unity, self-determination, and creativity.
Krishna Janmashtami
Hindus celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna on this day. Temples are decorated, and people stay up until midnight, the traditional hour of his birth.
Kartik Purnima
A full moon festival considered especially sacred in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Devotees bathe in the Ganges and light lamps, and Varanasi holds Dev Deepawali on the same night.
Karva Chauth
Married women fast from sunrise until moonrise for the long life of their husbands. The fast is broken after seeing the moon through a sieve.
Kali Puja
Observed on the same night as Diwali in eastern India. Devotees worship the fierce goddess Kali to ask for protection from evil.
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Hindus worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, on this full moon night. Families stay awake, believing she visits homes where people are still up.
Kharchi Puja
A week-long festival of the Tripuri people honoring fourteen deities. Thousands visit the old Agartala temple for rituals and a large fair.
Kumbh Mela
One of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world, with tens of millions of pilgrims. Hindus bathe in sacred rivers to wash away sins and seek spiritual liberation.
Kite Festival
Also called Uttarayan, this festival marks the sun’s northward journey. Skies fill with colorful kites, and cities such as Ahmedabad host international kite flyers.
Kodomo no Hi
Children’s Day is a national holiday in Japan celebrating children’s health and happiness. Families fly carp-shaped windsocks, which symbolize strength and perseverance.
Kanamara Matsuri
The “Festival of the Steel Phallus” is held at the Kanayama Shrine. It began as a prayer for protection from disease and for fertility, and now draws large international crowds.
Kanda Matsuri
One of Tokyo’s three great Shinto festivals. Dozens of mikoshi are carried through the streets around Kanda Shrine, honoring the deities who protect the city.
Kanto Matsuri
Performers carry poles up to 12 meters tall with dozens of lanterns, representing rice stalks. It is one of the Tohoku region’s summer festivals and prays for a good harvest.
Kishiwada Danjiri Festival
Teams pull wooden festival floats through the city, taking sharp corners at a run. The festival dates back to the 1700s and honors a good harvest.
Kurama Fire Festival
A night festival at Yuki Shrine in the mountains north of Kyoto. Villagers carry flaming torches and portable shrines through the narrow streets.
Kamakura Festival
Hundreds of snow huts are built across town for this winter festival. Children welcome guests inside to share rice cakes and a sweet rice drink.
Keiro no Hi
Respect for the Aged Day is a national holiday honoring elderly citizens. Communities give small presents and organize events to thank older people.
Kenkoku Kinen no Hi
National Foundation Day marks the traditional founding of Japan by Emperor Jimmu in 660 BCE. It is a public holiday celebrating the country’s origins.
Kinro Kansha no Hi
Labor Thanksgiving Day honors work and gives thanks for production. It replaced an older harvest festival and is a national holiday.
Khao Phansa
Marks the start of the three-month Buddhist rains retreat. Monks stay in their temples to study and meditate, and many lay people give up drinking or smoking for the period.
Kathina
A Buddhist ceremony in which lay communities offer robes and supplies to monks after the rains retreat. It is considered one of the most meritorious acts of giving.
Kaamatan Festival
The harvest festival of the Kadazan-Dusun people thanks the rice spirit Bambaazon for the season’s crop. It is a public holiday in Sabah.
Kadayawan Festival
A thanksgiving festival celebrating the harvest and the city’s flowers, fruits, and indigenous heritage. Colorful parades fill the streets of Davao.
Kartini Day
Honors Raden Adjeng Kartini, a pioneer of women’s education and rights in Indonesia. Women and girls often wear traditional clothing, and schools hold special events.
Kuningan
A Balinese Hindu holiday marking the end of Galungan. Families make offerings of yellow rice and pray for ancestral spirits to return to the heavens.
Kasada Festival
The Tengger people climb Mount Bromo to offer food and animals to the mountain gods. The ritual honors a legend of a sacrificed child and asks for protection and prosperity.
Kamehameha Day
Honors the king who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1810. A floral parade in Honolulu and lei ceremonies at statues in Honolulu and Hilo mark the day.
Kuomboka
The Lozi people move their king from the flooded Barotse plains to higher ground. The royal barge Nalikwanda, topped with a model elephant, leads a flotilla of canoes.
Kwita Izina
A gorilla-naming ceremony that began in 2005 to celebrate conservation success. Newborn gorillas are given names by community members, officials, and guests.
Kundum Festival
A traditional harvest festival of the Ahanta and Nzema people that begins with the expelling of evil from the community. It later turns to festivities and thanksgiving.
Kaapse Klopse
Also called the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival or Tweede Nuwe Jaar. Troupes march through the city in bright outfits, a tradition rooted in the history of enslaved people at the Cape.
Kupala Night
A Slavic midsummer festival tied to the summer solstice. Young people leap over fires and float wreaths on rivers, and legend says a fern flower blooms only that night.
Krampusnacht
The night before St. Nicholas Day, when the horned folk figure Krampus is said to punish naughty children. Towns hold Krampus runs, with people in fur costumes and wooden masks.
Kekri
A traditional harvest festival marking the end of the agricultural year. Families once left food out for ancestors and household spirits, and some of its customs survive today.
Kukeri
Men dressed in shaggy costumes and fierce masks wear heavy bells to scare away evil spirits. The ritual is meant to bring a good harvest and health for the coming year.
Kirkpinar Festival
Said to be the oldest continuously held wrestling competition in the world, dating back to 1346. Wrestlers coat themselves in olive oil and compete on a grass field.
Kataklysmos
Also known as the Festival of the Flood, it recalls Noah’s flood and cleansing. Coastal towns hold water games and concerts, and people throw water at each other.
King’s Day
Koningsdag celebrates the birthday of the Dutch king, Willem-Alexander. The country turns orange, and people sell secondhand items on the street.
Kalevala Day
Also called the Day of Finnish Culture, it honors the national epic compiled by Elias Lonnrot. The first version was finished in 1835, and the day celebrates Finland’s cultural heritage.
Kyiv Day
A citywide celebration of the Ukrainian capital’s founding and heritage. It includes concerts, festivals, and public events across the city.
Kosovo Independence Day
Marks Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008. Streets and buildings are decorated with Kosovar and Albanian flags.
Kuwait National Day
Commemorates the accession of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah in 1950. It is followed by Liberation Day on February 26, which marks the end of the 1991 Iraqi occupation.