This page lists 58 holidays that start with P, running alphabetically from “Pachamama Day” to “Palm Sunday Procession.” They include religious feasts, national independence days, harvest festivals, and New Year celebrations from many parts of the world. You can use the list to plan trips around local events, prepare classroom lessons, find ideas for cultural programs, or simply learn how different communities mark special days.
Holidays are days set aside to celebrate, remember, or honor a person, event, season, or belief. Some are public days off, while others are local customs. For example, “Pongal” is a four-day Tamil harvest festival where families cook rice in a pot until it boils over, symbolizing abundance.
Below you’ll find the table with the holiday name, date, country or region, traditions, and description.
Holiday: The name of each celebration, so you can quickly spot the one you are looking for and check how it is commonly known.
Date: When the holiday takes place, whether on a fixed day, a season, or a moving date tied to a lunar or religious calendar.
Country/Region: The place or places where the holiday is observed, which helps you see whether it is local, national, or celebrated worldwide.
Traditions: The main customs, foods, rituals, and activities people take part in, giving you a clear picture of how the day is celebrated.
Description: A short summary of what the holiday means, where it comes from, and why people observe it, so you understand the story behind it.
Holidays
| Holiday | Date | Country/Region | Traditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pachamama Day | August 1 | Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Andes region | Offerings of food, drink and coca leaves buried in the earth, ritual burning of offerings |
| Pahiyas Festival | May 15 | Lucban, Quezon, Philippines | Houses decorated with colorful rice wafers, fruits and vegetables, parades, street dancing |
| Palio di Siena | July 2 and August 16 | Siena, Italy | Bareback horse race around the Piazza del Campo, contrada (district) flags and processions, blessing of the horses |
| Palm Sunday | Sunday before Easter | Worldwide (Christian countries) | Blessing and carrying of palm fronds, processions, church services |
| Pan American Day | April 14 | Americas | Official ceremonies, cultural events, flag displays |
| Panagbenga Festival | February | Baguio, Philippines | Flower-covered floats, street dancing, flower-themed parades |
| Pana Sankranti | April 14 (around) | Odisha, India | Drinking sweet pana beverage, temple worship, folk dances, fire-walking in some areas |
| Pancake Day | Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (February or March) | United Kingdom, Ireland, Commonwealth countries | Eating pancakes, pancake races, using up eggs and butter before Lent |
| Parents’ Day | Fourth Sunday of July (USA), May 8 (South Korea) | United States, South Korea | Gifts, cards, family meals and visits |
| Parinirvana Day | February 15 | East Asia, Mahayana Buddhist communities | Meditation, temple visits, reading the Nirvana Sutra, offerings |
| Parshuram Jayanti | April or May (Akshaya Tritiya period) | India, Nepal | Fasting, prayers, temple worship, processions |
| Pascha | Date of Orthodox Easter (April or May) | Eastern Orthodox countries (Greece, Russia, Serbia and others) | Midnight Resurrection service, candlelit processions, red-dyed eggs, feasting after Lent |
| Passover | 15th of Nisan (March or April) | Israel, Jewish communities worldwide | Seder meal, eating matzah, retelling the Exodus story, avoiding leavened bread |
| Pateti | August (varies) | India, Iran, Parsi communities | Prayers at the fire temple, new clothes, festive meals, visiting family |
| Patriot Day | September 11 | United States | Moment of silence, flags at half-staff, memorial ceremonies, community service |
| Patriots’ Day | Third Monday in April | Massachusetts and Maine, USA | Boston Marathon, battle reenactments at Lexington and Concord, parades |
| Pavarana Day | October (full moon of the 11th lunar month) | Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Sri Lanka | Offerings to monks, lantern displays, temple ceremonies |
| Pchum Ben | September or October | Cambodia | Offerings of rice balls to monks, prayers for ancestors, temple visits |
| Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day | December 7 | United States | Memorial ceremonies, flags at half-staff, wreath-laying at Pearl Harbor |
| Pentecost | 50 days after Easter (May or June) | Worldwide (Christian countries) | Church services, red vestments, readings about the Holy Spirit, processions |
| Pentecost Monday | Day after Pentecost (May or June) | Germany, France, Austria, Hungary and other European countries | Family outings, picnics, church services, local fairs |
| Pet Day | Varies by school or club | United States, United Kingdom | Bringing pets to school or shows, pet parades |
| Philippine Independence Day | June 12 | Philippines | Flag-raising ceremonies, parades, fireworks, speeches |
| Phagwah | March (full moon of Phalguna) | Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname | Throwing colored powder and water, singing folk songs, sharing sweets |
| Phi Ta Khon | June or July | Loei Province, Thailand | Masked costumes, parades, dancing, music |
| Pi Day | March 14 | International | Eating pie, math contests, reciting digits of pi |
| Pi Mai | April 14 to 16 | Laos | Water splashing, washing Buddha images, processions, family gatherings |
| Picnic Day | First Monday in August | Northern Territory, Australia | Picnics, outdoor events, local fairs |
| Pinkster | Pentecost weekend (May or June) | Netherlands, historically New York and New Jersey, USA | Dancing, music, feasting, community gatherings |
| Pioneer Day | July 24 | Utah, USA | Parades, fireworks, rodeos, picnics |
| Pitru Paksha | September or October (about 16 days) | India, Nepal | Offerings of food and water to ancestors, shraddha rituals, feeding priests and the poor |
| Plough Monday | First Monday after Epiphany (January) | England | Plough blessings, morris dancing, plough processions |
| Pohela Boishakh | April 14 | Bangladesh, West Bengal (India) | Parades with colorful masks, traditional foods like panta bhat, fairs, new account books |
| Pola | August (new moon day of Shravana) | Maharashtra, India | Decorated and painted bullocks, processions, special meals, rest for farm animals |
| Polish Independence Day | November 11 | Poland | Parades, wreath-laying, flags, patriotic concerts |
| Pongal | January 14 to 17 | Tamil Nadu, India; Sri Lanka | Cooking sweet pongal rice in a pot until it boils over, kolam designs, decorating cattle |
| Poppy Day | November 11 (around) | United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand | Wearing red poppies, two minutes of silence, donations for veterans |
| Poson Poya | Full moon in June | Sri Lanka | Visits to temples, dhana (free food stalls), lantern decorations, pilgrimages to Mihintale |
| Poush Sankranti | January 14 (around) | West Bengal, Bangladesh | Making pithe (rice cakes), sweets with date palm jaggery, kite flying, fairs |
| Poya | Monthly, on the full moon | Sri Lanka | Observing the five precepts, wearing white, temple visits, no alcohol or meat sales |
| Prakash Purab | November (full moon of Kartik) | India, Sikh communities worldwide | Processions, singing hymns, langar (community meals), lights |
| Presidents’ Day | Third Monday in February | United States | Sales, school and government closures, patriotic events |
| Prešeren Day | February 8 | Slovenia | Poetry readings, cultural events, free admission to museums |
| Pride Day | June (dates vary by city) | Worldwide | Parades, rainbow flags, rallies, festivals |
| Primrose Day | April 19 | United Kingdom | Placing primroses on a statue of Benjamin Disraeli, wearing primroses |
| Prince Kuhio Day | March 26 | Hawaii, USA | Parades, hula, Hawaiian music, community events |
| Proclamation Day | December 28 | South Australia | Reenactment events, family gatherings, a day off work |
| Pulaski Day | First Monday in March | Illinois, USA | School closures, parades, Polish-American events |
| Purim | 14th of Adar (February or March) | Israel, Jewish communities worldwide | Reading the Book of Esther, costumes, gifts of food, giving to charity, hamantaschen pastries |
| Purple Heart Day | August 7 | United States | Ceremonies honoring recipients, veterans’ events |
| Puthandu | April 14 | Tamil Nadu, India; Sri Lanka; Singapore; Malaysia | Kolam designs, mango pachadi, visiting temples, new clothes |
| Pushkar Camel Fair | October or November (around Kartik Purnima) | Pushkar, Rajasthan, India | Camel and livestock trading, camel races, folk music, holy bath in Pushkar Lake |
| POW/MIA Recognition Day | Third Friday in September | United States | Flag ceremonies, moments of silence, memorial events |
| Pakistan Day | March 23 | Pakistan | Military parades, flag-raising, patriotic events |
| Pakistan Independence Day | August 14 | Pakistan | Flag hoisting, fireworks, parades, green and white decorations |
| Paraguayan Independence Day | May 14 and 15 | Paraguay | Parades, flag ceremonies, music and dance |
| Peruvian Independence Day | July 28 | Peru | Military parade, presidential address, fireworks, family meals |
| Palm Sunday Procession | Sunday before Easter | Spain, Latin America | Processions with palm and olive branches, statues carried through the streets |
Descriptions
Pachamama Day
An Andean celebration honoring Pachamama, or Mother Earth. Communities thank the land for its harvests and ask for protection and fertility in the coming year.
Pahiyas Festival
A harvest festival honoring San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers. Homes are covered in bright edible decorations, and visitors tour the streets to admire them.
Palio di Siena
A medieval-style horse race in which ten of Siena’s seventeen districts compete. The race lasts about 90 seconds but is the culmination of days of pageantry and fierce local rivalry.
Palm Sunday
A Christian holy day marking Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. Worshippers carry palm branches, and it begins Holy Week.
Pan American Day
A day celebrating cooperation and friendship among the nations of the Americas. It commemorates the 1890 founding of the organization that later became the Organization of American States.
Panagbenga Festival
A month-long flower festival in the Philippines’ “Summer Capital.” Its name comes from a local word meaning “season of blooming,” and it features dazzling floral floats and dancers in flower costumes.
Pana Sankranti
Also called Maha Vishuva Sankranti, this is the Odia New Year. People drink a cooling sweet drink called pana and worship at temples to mark the start of the solar year.
Pancake Day
Also known as Shrove Tuesday, this is the last day before Lent begins. People traditionally eat pancakes to use up rich ingredients, and many towns hold pancake races.
Parents’ Day
A day to honor mothers and fathers together. In the United States it was signed into law in 1994, while South Korea celebrates it on May 8 in place of separate Mother’s and Father’s days.
Parinirvana Day
A Buddhist holiday marking the death of the Buddha and his final passing into nirvana. Followers reflect on impermanence and visit temples for chanting and offerings.
Parshuram Jayanti
A Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Devotees fast and worship, especially in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.
Pascha
The Eastern Orthodox name for Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It is the most important feast of the Orthodox year and is usually marked with a midnight service and a joyful meal.
Passover
A Jewish festival of about a week that commemorates the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt. Families gather for the Seder, where the story is retold with symbolic foods.
Pateti
The day before the Parsi New Year (Navroz) among Zoroastrians in India, traditionally a time for repentance and reflection. Many Parsis also use the name for the New Year celebration itself.
Patriot Day
A day of remembrance for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Americans observe a moment of silence and fly flags at half-staff.
Patriots’ Day
A state holiday commemorating the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775. It is best known for the Boston Marathon, which is held on the same day.
Pavarana Day
A Theravada Buddhist observance that ends the three-month rains retreat. Monks invite one another to point out any faults, and lay followers make offerings at temples.
Pchum Ben
A major Cambodian festival lasting about fifteen days in which people honor deceased relatives. Families bring food to pagodas to share merit with the spirits of ancestors.
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
A day honoring those killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941. Ceremonies are held at the USS Arizona Memorial and across the country.
Pentecost
A Christian feast marking the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. It is often called the birthday of the Church and is a public holiday in several countries.
Pentecost Monday
Also known as Whit Monday, this public holiday follows Pentecost Sunday. Many Europeans use the long weekend for outdoor trips and regional celebrations.
Pet Day
A local event, often at schools, where children bring pets to show and talk about them. It is not a national public holiday.
Philippine Independence Day
Commemorates the declaration of independence from Spain in 1898. Flags fly across the country, and the president leads official ceremonies in Manila.
Phagwah
The Caribbean version of Holi, celebrating the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. People gather to play with bright colored powders and water.
Phi Ta Khon
Known as the Ghost Festival, this Thai festival features people in colorful spirit masks and costumes parading through the town of Dan Sai. It blends Buddhist and local spirit traditions.
Pi Day
A day celebrating the mathematical constant pi (3.14). Schools and math fans mark it with pie eating and pi memorization contests, and it also falls on Albert Einstein’s birthday.
Pi Mai
The Lao New Year. People pour water over Buddha statues and elders, and splash one another as a blessing, in a festival similar to Thailand’s Songkran.
Picnic Day
A public holiday in Australia’s Northern Territory, originally a day for workers and families to enjoy outdoor gatherings and community events.
Pinkster
The Dutch name for Pentecost. In colonial New York it grew into a lively spring festival, notably celebrated by African American communities in places such as Albany.
Pioneer Day
A Utah state holiday commemorating the arrival of Brigham Young and the first Latter-day Saint pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.
Pitru Paksha
A Hindu period of remembrance in which families honor their departed ancestors with offerings and prayers. Many avoid starting new ventures during this time.
Plough Monday
A traditional English holiday marking the return to work after Christmas. Farm workers once dragged a plough through villages and asked for money, and churches still bless the plough.
Pohela Boishakh
The Bengali New Year. People wear new clothes, enjoy traditional meals and attend fairs and cultural shows, including the large Mangal Shobhajatra procession in Dhaka.
Pola
A farmers’ festival honoring bulls and oxen for their work in the fields. The animals are bathed, painted and decorated, and fed special foods.
Polish Independence Day
Marks Poland’s regaining of independence in 1918 after 123 years of partition. Poles fly flags and attend ceremonies, with the main events held in Warsaw.
Pongal
A four-day Tamil harvest festival thanking the sun and farm animals. Families cook rice and milk outdoors, and the boiling over of the pot symbolizes abundance.
Poppy Day
A name for the days around Remembrance Day when people wear red poppies to honor soldiers who died in war and to raise funds for veterans.
Poson Poya
A Sri Lankan Buddhist holiday commemorating the arrival of Buddhism on the island in the 3rd century BCE, when the monk Mahinda met King Devanampiya Tissa.
Poush Sankranti
A Bengali harvest festival marking the end of the month of Poush. Families prepare traditional rice cakes and sweets, and fairs take place in many villages.
Poya
A monthly Buddhist observance in Sri Lanka held on every full moon day. It is a public holiday with temple visits and quiet, reflective activities.
Prakash Purab
The celebration of the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, also called Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab. Sikhs gather at gurdwaras for prayers and shared meals.
Presidents’ Day
A federal holiday that began as a tribute to George Washington’s birthday and is now widely seen as honoring all U.S. presidents. It is also a popular shopping weekend.
Prešeren Day
Slovenia’s Culture Day, honoring national poet France Prešeren, whose poem “A Toast” forms the lyrics of the national anthem. Many cultural institutions open their doors for free.
Pride Day
A celebration of LGBTQ+ people and rights, typically held with parades and gatherings in June. It commemorates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City.
Primrose Day
A day remembering British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who died on April 19, 1881. The primrose was supposedly his favorite flower, and admirers once left bunches at his statue.
Prince Kuhio Day
A state holiday honoring Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, Hawaii’s delegate to the U.S. Congress who worked to protect Native Hawaiian rights and land.
Proclamation Day
A South Australian public holiday that commemorates the proclamation of the colony of South Australia in 1836, read out at Glenelg.
Pulaski Day
An Illinois state holiday honoring Casimir Pulaski, a Polish cavalry commander who fought for the American colonies in the Revolutionary War.
Purim
A joyful Jewish festival recalling how Queen Esther saved the Jewish people from a plot in ancient Persia. People dress in costumes, exchange gift baskets and eat triangular filled pastries.
Purple Heart Day
A day honoring members of the U.S. military who have been wounded or killed in service and received the Purple Heart medal, which George Washington created in 1782.
Puthandu
The Tamil New Year. Families clean their homes, draw colorful kolam patterns, visit temples and prepare a festive meal with sweet, sour and bitter flavors.
Pushkar Camel Fair
A large annual fair in the Rajasthan desert town of Pushkar. It combines livestock trade with a Hindu pilgrimage and attracts tourists, traders and performers.
POW/MIA Recognition Day
A day honoring prisoners of war and those still missing in action. The POW/MIA flag flies at federal buildings and military sites.
Pakistan Day
Commemorates the Lahore Resolution of 1940, which called for separate Muslim-majority states in South Asia, and the adoption of Pakistan’s first constitution in 1956.
Pakistan Independence Day
Celebrates Pakistan’s independence from British rule in 1947. People decorate homes and streets in green and white and attend ceremonies and fireworks.
Paraguayan Independence Day
Marks Paraguay’s break from Spanish rule in 1811. Celebrations include civic parades and cultural events across the country.
Peruvian Independence Day
Celebrates Peru’s declaration of independence from Spain by General José de San Martín in 1821. The celebrations span two days and often include traditional foods.
Palm Sunday Procession
A regional name for the processions held on Palm Sunday in Spanish-speaking countries, often marking the beginning of Semana Santa.