This page lists 38 holidays that start with G, from “Galungan” to “Glorious Twelfth.” The list includes religious festivals, national days, seasonal events, and cultural traditions from many parts of the world. You can use it to plan trips around local celebrations, find ideas for lessons, or learn how people mark important days.
Holidays are special days set aside to honor a belief, remember a historic event, or celebrate a season. Some have lasted for centuries, such as “Gion Matsuri” in Kyoto, which has been held at Yasaka Shrine since the 9th century.
Below you’ll find the table with the date, country or region, traditions, and description of each holiday.
Holiday: The name of each celebration, listed alphabetically, so you can quickly find a specific holiday or browse to discover ones you haven’t heard of before.
Date: When the holiday takes place. Some have fixed dates, while others follow lunar or religious calendars, so you can see when to plan ahead.
Country/Region: The place where the holiday is mainly observed. This shows you where it is celebrated and which communities around the world keep it alive.
Traditions: The customs, foods, and activities that people take part in. You can use this to picture what the celebration looks like and how people join in.
Description: A short summary of what the holiday means, where it comes from, and how people celebrate it, giving you the background you need at a glance.
Holidays
| Holiday | Date | Country/Region | Traditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galungan | Every 210 days (Balinese Pawukon calendar) | Bali, Indonesia | Penjor bamboo poles, temple offerings, family gatherings |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | August or September (Bhadrapada Shukla Chaturthi) | India, especially Maharashtra | Clay Ganesha idols, processions, modak sweets, idol immersion in water |
| Gai Jatra | August (day after Janai Purnima) | Nepal | Cow processions, costumes, satire and jokes |
| Govardhan Puja | October or November (day after Diwali) | India | Annakut food mountains, cow worship, prayers to Krishna |
| Guru Nanak Jayanti | November (Kartik Purnima full moon) | India, Sikh communities worldwide | Akhand Path readings, processions, langar community meals, hymn singing |
| Guru Purnima | July (Ashadha full moon) | India, Nepal, Bhutan | Honoring teachers, puja, fasting, gifts to mentors |
| Gudi Padwa | March or April (first day of Chaitra) | Maharashtra, India | Raising a decorated gudi flag, rangoli, puran poli, new clothes |
| Gaura Purnima | February or March (Phalguna full moon) | India, Bangladesh, Vaishnava communities worldwide | Fasting until moonrise, kirtan singing, processions, feasting |
| Gangaur | March or April (Chaitra, lasting 16-18 days) | Rajasthan and Gujarat, India | Decorated Gauri idols, women’s processions, henna, folk songs |
| Gopashtami | October or November (Kartik Shukla Ashtami) | India | Cow worship, decorating cattle, feeding cows |
| Gita Jayanti | December (Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi) | India | Reciting the Bhagavad Gita, lectures, devotional gatherings |
| Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti | December or January (Sikh lunar calendar) | Punjab, India, Sikh communities worldwide | Nagar kirtan processions, prayers at gurdwaras, langar |
| Gandhi Jayanti | October 2 | India | Prayer meetings, Raghupati Raghav Rajaram singing, tributes at Raj Ghat |
| Good Friday | Friday before Easter (varies each year) | Worldwide Christian communities | Church services, fasting, Stations of the Cross, hot cross buns |
| Great Lent | Begins on Clean Monday, about 48 days before Orthodox Easter | Eastern Orthodox countries | Fasting from meat and dairy, extra prayer services, kite flying on Clean Monday |
| Gaudete Sunday | Third Sunday of Advent (December) | Catholic and Anglican communities worldwide | Pink or rose candle and vestments, joyful readings |
| Groundhog Day | February 2 | United States and Canada | Watching a groundhog’s shadow, Punxsutawney Phil ceremony |
| Guy Fawkes Night | November 5 | United Kingdom | Bonfires, fireworks, burning a “guy” effigy, toffee apples |
| Golden Week | April 29 to May 5 | Japan | Family travel, carp streamers, spring outings |
| Greenery Day | May 4 | Japan | Visiting parks, gardening, time in nature |
| Giving Tuesday | Tuesday after US Thanksgiving | United States, global | Charitable donations, volunteering, online fundraising campaigns |
| Grandparents’ Day | First Sunday after Labor Day (September) | United States | Visiting grandparents, handmade cards, family meals |
| Ghost Festival | 15th day of the 7th lunar month (August or September) | China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam | Burning joss paper, food offerings, floating lanterns, opera shows |
| Gion Matsuri | July (all month, with main parades July 17 and 24) | Kyoto, Japan | Giant festival floats, yukata clothing, street food stalls |
| Garifuna Settlement Day | November 19 | Belize | Reenacting the arrival by boat, drumming, punta dancing, cassava bread |
| Gawai Dayak | June 1 to 2 | Sarawak, Malaysia | Tuak rice wine, ngajat dance, longhouse visits, traditional costumes |
| Gaecheonjeol | October 3 | South Korea | Flag displays, ceremonies, cultural events |
| Gwangbokjeol | August 15 | South Korea and North Korea | Flag raising, government ceremonies, historical exhibits |
| Gyalpo Losar | Late winter (February or March, Tibetan lunar calendar) | Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Himalayan communities | Guthuk noodle soup, cleaning the house, monastery prayers, kapse biscuits |
| Giorgoba | November 23 | Georgia | Church services, feasting, family gatherings |
| Grito de Dolores | September 15 to 16 | Mexico | Reciting the cry of independence, fireworks, parades, mariachi music |
| Grito de Lares | September 23 | Puerto Rico | Parades, ceremonies in Lares, historical reenactments |
| Greek Independence Day | March 25 | Greece and Greek communities worldwide | Military parades, school pageants, flying the Greek flag |
| German Unity Day | October 3 | Germany | Official ceremonies, open-air festivals, fireworks |
| Ghana Independence Day | March 6 | Ghana | Parades, flag raising, speeches, cultural performances |
| Guam Liberation Day | July 21 | Guam, United States territory | Parade in Hagåtña, carnival, memorial events, fireworks |
| Gibraltar National Day | September 10 | Gibraltar | Wearing red and white, rally at John Mackintosh Square, balloon release |
| Glorious Twelfth | August 12 | United Kingdom | Start of the red grouse shooting season, game dinners |
Descriptions
Galungan
A Balinese Hindu holiday celebrating the victory of good (dharma) over evil (adharma). Families decorate streets with tall curved bamboo poles and pray at temples for ten days until Kuningan.
Ganesh Chaturthi
A Hindu festival honoring the elephant-headed god Ganesha on his birthday. Communities install decorated idols in homes and public pandals, then carry them in music-filled processions to be immersed in rivers or the sea.
Gai Jatra
The Festival of Cows in Nepal, held to honor relatives who died in the past year. Families lead cows through the streets, and people dress up in costumes and perform comedy to ease grief.
Govardhan Puja
A Hindu festival recalling how Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill to shelter villagers from a storm. Devotees prepare huge offerings of vegetarian food, called annakut, and decorate and worship cows.
Guru Nanak Jayanti
Also called Gurpurab, this Sikh holiday celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism. Gurdwaras hold continuous scripture readings, parades, and free communal meals open to everyone.
Guru Purnima
A day set aside to honor spiritual and academic teachers. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains thank their gurus with prayers, gifts, and gatherings on the full moon of the Ashadha month.
Gudi Padwa
The Marathi New Year, marking the start of spring. Households hang a gudi, a bright silk cloth topped with a garland and an upturned copper pot, outside windows or doors as a symbol of victory and good fortune.
Gaura Purnima
Celebrates the birth of the Bengali saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who popularized devotion to Krishna. Devotees fast, sing devotional songs, and break the fast with a large vegetarian feast.
Gangaur
A spring festival devoted to the goddess Gauri, wife of Shiva. Married women pray for their husbands’ well-being and unmarried women pray for a good match, singing folk songs and carrying idols through town.
Gopashtami
A Hindu festival honoring cows and the cowherd Krishna. Devotees bathe and decorate cows and calves, offer them food, and walk around them in prayer.
Gita Jayanti
Marks the day Krishna is said to have spoken the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Temples and schools hold readings and talks on the text.
Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti
Celebrates the birth of the tenth Sikh Guru, who founded the Khalsa order. Sikhs gather for prayers and hymn singing, march in street processions, and share free meals.
Gandhi Jayanti
The birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a leader of India’s independence movement, observed as a national holiday. It is also marked internationally as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Good Friday
A solemn Christian holiday remembering the crucifixion of Jesus. Many churches hold quiet services, and in many countries it is a public holiday.
Great Lent
The main fasting season of the Eastern Orthodox calendar, leading up to Easter. Believers cut back on certain foods and attend extra services as a time of repentance.
Gaudete Sunday
A day of rejoicing in the middle of the Advent season, named after the Latin word for “rejoice.” Churches light a rose-colored candle to mark that Christmas is near.
Groundhog Day
A tradition in which a groundhog is said to predict the weather. If it sees its shadow, six more weeks of winter are expected; if not, spring comes early. The best-known event is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Guy Fawkes Night
Also called Bonfire Night, it commemorates the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament. People gather around bonfires and watch fireworks across Britain.
Golden Week
A cluster of national holidays in Japan that forms one of the busiest travel periods of the year. It includes Showa Day, Constitution Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day.
Greenery Day
A Japanese public holiday for appreciating nature and thanking the natural world. It falls during Golden Week, and many families spend the day outdoors.
Giving Tuesday
A global day of generosity that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Charities, businesses, and individuals encourage donations, volunteering, and acts of kindness.
Grandparents’ Day
A US holiday that honors grandparents and the role they play in families. Children and grandchildren mark the day with visits, cards, and small gifts.
Ghost Festival
Also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, it is a time when spirits of the dead are believed to visit the living. Families offer food and burn paper money for ancestors and wandering ghosts.
Gion Matsuri
One of Japan’s most famous festivals, held at Yasaka Shrine since the 9th century. Huge wooden floats parade through Kyoto, and the streets fill with food stands and people in summer kimono.
Garifuna Settlement Day
Marks the 1823 arrival of the Garifuna people in southern Belize. Communities in Dangriga reenact the landing, with drumming, dancing, and traditional food.
Gawai Dayak
A harvest festival and public holiday for the Dayak peoples of Sarawak. Longhouse communities welcome visitors with feasts, music, dancing, and rice wine.
Gaecheonjeol
Korea’s National Foundation Day, which marks the legendary founding of the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon, in 2333 BCE. The name means “the day the sky opened.”
Gwangbokjeol
Liberation Day marks Korea’s freedom from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. South Koreans celebrate with official ceremonies and by flying the national flag.
Gyalpo Losar
The Tibetan New Year, a major Himalayan Buddhist holiday lasting about two weeks. Families clean their homes, make offerings, and share festive meals.
Giorgoba
A Georgian religious holiday honoring St. George, the country’s patron saint. Georgians attend church and gather for large family meals.
Grito de Dolores
Marks the 1810 call to arms by Father Miguel Hidalgo that began Mexico’s war of independence. The president rings a bell and recites the “Grito” from the National Palace on the eve of Independence Day.
Grito de Lares
Commemorates the 1868 uprising against Spanish rule in the town of Lares. It is seen as a key moment in Puerto Rican identity and independence history.
Greek Independence Day
Celebrates the start of the Greek War of Independence in 1821 against Ottoman rule. It coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation.
German Unity Day
Germany’s national day, marking the 1990 reunification of East and West Germany. A different German state hosts the main celebration each year.
Ghana Independence Day
Marks Ghana’s 1957 independence from Britain, the first sub-Saharan African colony to gain it. Ghanaians celebrate with parades and national events.
Guam Liberation Day
Commemorates the 1944 liberation of Guam from Japanese occupation in World War II. The island holds one of its biggest annual parades.
Gibraltar National Day
Celebrates the 1967 referendum in which Gibraltar voted to stay under British sovereignty. Residents dress in the territory’s colors and gather for a public rally.
Glorious Twelfth
The traditional start of the grouse shooting season in Britain. Though not a public holiday, it is an established date in the countryside calendar.