This page lists 43 holidays that start with the letter T, running alphabetically from “Tabaski” to “Tzom Gedaliah”. The list covers religious festivals, national days, seasonal celebrations, and a few lighthearted fan events from around the world. You can use it to plan travel, find ideas for a school project, learn about other cultures, or simply discover a celebration you have never heard of.
Holidays are special days set aside to mark a religious belief, a historical event, a season, or a shared tradition. Some are very old, while others are surprisingly recent, like “Talk Like a Pirate Day”, which began in 1995 as a joke between two friends in Oregon.
Below you’ll find the table with the holiday name, date, country or region, traditions, and description.
Holiday: The name of each celebration, listed alphabetically, so you can quickly find a specific holiday or browse through all the T names in order.
Date: When the holiday takes place. Some dates are fixed, while others follow lunar or religious calendars, so you can see which ones move each year.
Country/Region: The place or community where the holiday is mainly observed. This helps you see where each celebration is rooted and which ones are international.
Traditions: The main customs, foods, and activities people enjoy on the day. You can use this to picture what a celebration looks like in practice.
Description: A short explanation of what the holiday means and where it comes from, giving you the background you need to understand why people celebrate it.
Holidays
| Holiday | Date | Country/Region | Traditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tabaski | 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah (varies yearly) | West Africa | Animal sacrifice, new clothes, family feasts, charity |
| Talk Like a Pirate Day | September 19 | International (started in the US) | Pirate slang, costumes, themed parties |
| Tamu Lhosar | December 30 | Nepal, Sikkim, Darjeeling | Gurung dances, traditional dress, feasts, family visits |
| Tanabata | July 7 | Japan | Wishes written on paper strips, bamboo decorations, summer festivals |
| Tartan Day | April 6 | United States, Canada | Pipe bands, parades, tartan clothing |
| Tazaungdaing | Full moon of Tazaungmon (November) | Myanmar | Lanterns, hot-air balloons, weaving contests, offerings to monks |
| Teachers’ Day | September 5 in India; dates vary elsewhere | India and many countries | Gifts, thank-you cards, school events |
| Teej | July or August (monsoon season) | Nepal, India | Fasting, songs and dances, red clothing, swings |
| Tet | Late January to mid-February (lunar new year) | Vietnam | Family reunions, banh chung rice cakes, lucky money, flower markets |
| Texas Independence Day | March 2 | Texas, United States | Parades, reenactments, barbecues |
| Thadingyut | Full moon of Thadingyut (October) | Myanmar | Lights, candles, paying respects to elders and teachers |
| Thaipusam | Full moon in Thai month (January or February) | India, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka | Processions, kavadi carrying, body piercing, fasting |
| Thai Pongal | January 14 or 15 | Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Tamil communities | Boiling rice in new pots, kolam designs, thanking the sun |
| Thanksgiving (Canada) | Second Monday of October | Canada | Turkey dinner, pumpkin pie, family gatherings |
| Thanksgiving (United States) | Fourth Thursday of November | United States | Turkey dinner, parades, football, family gatherings |
| Thesmophoria | Late October (ancient Athenian calendar) | Ancient Greece | Women-only rites, fasting, offerings to Demeter |
| Thingyan | April 13 to 16 | Myanmar | Water throwing, merit-making, temple visits |
| Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday | April 13 | Alabama, United States | State holiday observance |
| Thorrablot | Late January to February (Icelandic month of Thorri) | Iceland | Traditional foods like fermented shark and ram’s testicles, singing, drinking |
| Three Kings’ Day | January 6 | Spain, Latin America, Philippines, Puerto Rico | Gift giving, parades, Rosca de Reyes cake, leaving shoes out |
| Tihar | October or November (five days) | Nepal, Sikkim, Darjeeling | Oil lamps, rangoli, honoring crows, dogs, cows, and brothers |
| Timkat | January 19 (January 20 in leap years) | Ethiopia, Eritrea | Processions of the Tabot, white robes, water blessings |
| Tin Hau Festival | 23rd day of the third lunar month (April or May) | Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan | Temple visits, lion dances, fishing boat parades, offerings |
| Tiradentes Day | April 21 | Brazil | Ceremonies, parades, historical commemorations |
| Tisha B’Av | 9th of Av (July or August) | Israel, Jewish communities worldwide | Fasting, reading the Book of Lamentations, sitting on low seats |
| Tolkien Reading Day | March 25 | International | Group readings, fan gatherings |
| Tomb-Sweeping Day | April 4 or 5 | China, Taiwan, Hong Kong | Cleaning graves, offering food, burning joss paper, flying kites |
| Towel Day | May 25 | International | Carrying a towel all day |
| Trafalgar Day | October 21 | United Kingdom | Naval ceremonies, wreath laying at Nelson’s Column |
| Transfiguration | August 6 | Christian communities worldwide | Church services, blessing of fruit |
| Trinidad Carnival | Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday | Trinidad and Tobago | Costumes, steel bands, soca music, street parades |
| Trinity Sunday | First Sunday after Pentecost | Christian communities worldwide | Church services focused on the Trinity |
| Trooping the Colour | Saturday in June | United Kingdom | Military parade, royal procession, flypast |
| Truman Day | May 8 | Missouri, United States | State observance |
| Tsagaan Sar | Late January to February (lunar new year) | Mongolia | Buuz dumplings, family visits, greeting elders, gift exchange |
| Tsukimi | Mid-September to early October | Japan | Moon viewing, rice dumplings, pampas grass |
| Tu B’Av | 15th of Av (July or August) | Israel, Jewish communities worldwide | Weddings, romantic gestures, dancing |
| Tu BiShvat | 15th of Shevat (January or February) | Israel, Jewish communities worldwide | Eating fruits and nuts, planting trees, seder meal |
| Tuen Ng Festival | 5th day of the fifth lunar month (May or June) | Hong Kong, Macau | Dragon boat races, eating zongzi rice dumplings |
| Tulsi Vivah | 11th or 12th day of Kartik (October or November) | India, Nepal | Symbolic wedding, decorating the tulsi plant, fasting |
| Twelfth Night | January 5 or 6 | England, Europe, Christian communities | King cake, wassailing, taking down decorations |
| Tynwald Day | July 5 | Isle of Man | Open-air parliament ceremony, procession, reading new laws |
| Tzom Gedaliah | 3rd of Tishrei (September or October) | Israel, Jewish communities worldwide | Dawn-to-dusk fasting, prayers |
Descriptions
Tabaski
The West African name for Eid al-Adha, which commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son. Families sacrifice a sheep or ram and share the meat with relatives and the poor.
Talk Like a Pirate Day
A humorous unofficial holiday where people speak in pirate slang. It began in 1995 as a joke between two friends in Oregon and spread worldwide.
Tamu Lhosar
The new year festival of the Gurung community. People wear traditional clothing, perform folk dances, and share festive meals.
Tanabata
Also called the Star Festival, it celebrates the legend of two lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi, who meet once a year across the Milky Way. People hang wishes on bamboo branches.
Tartan Day
A day celebrating Scottish heritage and the contributions of Scottish Americans and Canadians. April 6 marks the date of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath.
Tazaungdaing
The Festival of Lights marks the end of the rainy season. Communities launch fire balloons and lanterns, and weavers race to make robes for monks overnight.
Teachers’ Day
A day to honor teachers for their contribution to students and society. In India it marks the birthday of educator and former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Teej
A monsoon festival mainly celebrated by women, who fast and pray for the well-being of their husbands and families. Women gather to sing, dance, and decorate their hands with henna.
Tet
The Vietnamese Lunar New Year is the country’s biggest holiday. Families clean their homes, honor ancestors, and share traditional foods.
Texas Independence Day
Marks the 1836 adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. It is a state holiday in Texas.
Thadingyut
The Festival of Lights marks the end of Buddhist Lent. People light lamps and candles and visit parents, teachers, and elders to show gratitude.
Thaipusam
A Tamil Hindu festival honoring Lord Murugan and the day he received a spear to defeat evil. Devotees carry ornate kavadis as acts of devotion.
Thai Pongal
A four-day harvest festival where Tamils thank the sun god for a good harvest. Families cook sweet rice in a pot until it boils over, a sign of abundance.
Thanksgiving (Canada)
A harvest celebration where Canadians give thanks for the year’s blessings. Its roots trace back to early European settlers celebrating a good harvest in the 1500s.
Thanksgiving (United States)
A national holiday for giving thanks, tied to a 1621 harvest feast shared by Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people. Today it centers on a large family meal.
Thesmophoria
An ancient Greek festival honoring Demeter and Persephone, celebrated by married women. It was linked to fertility, agriculture, and the sowing of grain.
Thingyan
The Burmese New Year water festival. People douse each other with water to wash away the previous year’s sins and misfortunes.
Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday
A state holiday in Alabama marking the birthday of the third US president and author of the Declaration of Independence.
Thorrablot
A midwinter feast with roots in old Norse tradition. Icelanders gather to eat traditional preserved foods and enjoy songs and drinks.
Three Kings’ Day
Celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem to bring gifts to baby Jesus. In many countries children receive presents on this day.
Tihar
Also called Deepawali in Nepal, this five-day festival of lights honors animals, Lakshmi, and the bond between siblings. Homes glow with lamps and colorful rangoli.
Timkat
The Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany, remembering Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan River. Crowds in white garments accompany replicas of the Ark of the Covenant.
Tin Hau Festival
Honors Tin Hau, the Chinese goddess of the sea and protector of fishermen. Boats are decorated and temples fill with worshippers.
Tiradentes Day
Honors Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, nicknamed Tiradentes, a leader of an 18th-century independence movement who was executed in 1792. It is a national holiday.
Tisha B’Av
The saddest day on the Jewish calendar, mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. Observers fast for about 25 hours.
Tolkien Reading Day
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien read passages from his works. March 25 is the date the One Ring was destroyed in The Lord of the Rings.
Tomb-Sweeping Day
Also known as Qingming, this is when Chinese families visit ancestors’ graves to clean them and make offerings. It is also a time to enjoy spring outings.
Towel Day
A tribute to author Douglas Adams, held on the 25th of May. Fans carry a towel with them, a nod to his book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Trafalgar Day
Commemorates the British naval victory at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, in which Admiral Lord Nelson was killed.
Transfiguration
A Christian feast recalling the moment Jesus appeared in radiant glory to three disciples on a mountain. In many Orthodox churches, grapes and other fruits are blessed.
Trinidad Carnival
One of the biggest carnivals in the world, featuring colorful masquerade, calypso and soca music, and huge street parties.
Trinity Sunday
A Christian observance honoring the doctrine of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God. It falls in late spring or early summer.
Trooping the Colour
A ceremony in London marking the official birthday of the British monarch. Soldiers parade their regimental flags in front of the royal family.
Truman Day
A Missouri state holiday honoring Harry S. Truman, the 33rd US president, born in Lamar, Missouri on May 8, 1884.
Tsagaan Sar
The Mongolian Lunar New Year, a time to honor elders and gather with family. Tables are loaded with dumplings, milk tea, and other traditional dishes.
Tsukimi
Japan’s moon-viewing festival, held during the harvest moon. People set out tsukimi dango dumplings and silver grass to admire the full moon.
Tu B’Av
A Jewish day of love, sometimes compared to Valentine’s Day. In ancient times, unmarried women danced in the vineyards.
Tu BiShvat
The Jewish New Year for Trees. People eat dried fruit and nuts and often plant trees, and it has become a day for environmental awareness.
Tuen Ng Festival
The Hong Kong and Macau name for the Dragon Boat Festival. Teams paddle long decorated boats while people enjoy sticky rice dumplings.
Tulsi Vivah
A Hindu ceremony where the sacred tulsi plant is ritually married to Lord Vishnu. It marks the beginning of the wedding season in many parts of India.
Twelfth Night
Marks the end of the Christmas season. Traditions include eating a special cake with a hidden bean or coin and taking down holiday decorations.
Tynwald Day
The national day of the Isle of Man, when new laws are proclaimed at an open-air ceremony on Tynwald Hill. The Tynwald is among the oldest continuous parliaments in the world.
Tzom Gedaliah
A Jewish fast day following Rosh Hashanah that mourns the assassination of Gedaliah, the governor of Judah after the destruction of the First Temple.