Culture and Traditions

March 10, 2025

An essential vocabulary set for teaching customs, celebrations, and how people connect across cultures

Teaching English is about more than just grammar and verbs—it’s about giving students the words to share their lives, beliefs, and values. Culture and traditions vocabulary opens the door to meaningful, personal, and inclusive discussions that help learners connect language with identity.

This topic offers some of the richest opportunities for student engagement. Vocabulary like festival, celebration, and observance gives learners the language to describe not only what they do, but why they do it—what traditions mean to them and their communities. These words naturally lead to storytelling and comparison, encouraging students to share personal experiences and learn from each other.

Including specific holidays like Christmas, Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah, Lunar New Year, Thanksgiving, and Halloween introduces cultural awareness alongside language practice. Whether students observe these holidays or are simply curious about them, the vocabulary helps them understand, respect, and talk about global traditions with confidence and accuracy.

Words like greeting card, parade, and anniversary help students describe both public events and personal celebrations—making the vocabulary useful across settings, from family gatherings to community festivals. And terms such as Carnival and Independence Day provide opportunities to introduce geography, history, and national identity in an engaging way.

This vocabulary also supports broader life skills. Understanding terms including birthday, New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day is important for navigating calendars, social events, and everyday conversations. Meanwhile, teaching a word like hostility opens up space to contrast it with the spirit of unity that traditions often promote.

The best part? This topic is universally relevant. Every student, regardless of background, has a tradition, holiday, or meaningful observance they can share. The language gives them the tools to tell those stories in English.

If you have not added the ‘Culture and Traditions’ pack, now is the perfect time to bring it in. This pack builds vocabulary, bridges cultures, and celebrates what makes us human—together.

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Pack	Vocab	Type	Definition	Usage
56	Greeting Card	Noun	A decorative card sent to convey good wishes on a holiday, birthday, or other special occasion.	She received a beautiful greeting card for her birthday. Greeting cards are exchanged during holidays, birthdays, and other celebrations.
56	Festival	Noun	A day or period of celebration, typically for religious reasons or cultural events.	The music festival attracts thousands of visitors each year. Festivals often include parades, performances, and cultural displays.
56	Celebration	Noun	A special event or activity in honor of a particular occasion or achievement.	The city held a celebration in honor of its 200th anniversary. Celebrations can range from intimate family gatherings to large public events.
56	Observance	Noun	The practice of following or honoring a traditional or religious event, often involving rituals.	Observance of Ramadan is a key duty. Observances include specific customs.
56	Anniversary	Noun	The date on which an event took place in a previous year, celebrated annually.	They celebrated their wedding anniversary with a special dinner. Anniversaries mark important personal or historical events.
56	Birthdate	Noun	The anniversary of the day on which a person was born, typically celebrated annually.	She received many gifts and cards on her birthdate. Birthdates are often celebrated with parties, cake, and presents.
56	Christmas	Noun	A Christian holiday celebrated on December 25th, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.	The family gathers every year to celebrate Christmas. Christmas is associated with traditions like exchanging gifts, decorating trees, and caroling.
56	Hanukkah	Noun	An eight-day Jewish festival celebrating the rededication of the Second Temple.	They light the menorah each night of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is celebrated with rituals, prayers, and traditional foods like latkes.
56	Eid	Noun	A Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan or honoring Abraham's sacrifice.	The family prepared a large meal to celebrate Eid. Eid is marked by special prayers, feasts, and giving to charity.
56	Diwali	Noun	A Hindu festival of lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.	They decorated their home with lights and rangoli for Diwali. Diwali is celebrated with fireworks, sweets, and prayers.
56	Lunar New Year	Noun	The new year in the lunisolar calendar, celebrated in East Asia.	Lunar New Year has family reunions. Traditions include red envelopes.
56	Hostility	Noun	Unfriendly or antagonistic behavior toward people or ideas.	There was noticeable hostility between the two rival groups. Hostility can escalate into conflict if not managed carefully.
56	Easter	Noun	A Christian holiday celebrating Jesus Christ's resurrection.	They attended church services on Easter Sunday. Easter is celebrated with traditions like egg hunts, baskets, and family meals.
56	Halloween	Noun	A holiday on October 31st with costumes, pumpkins, and trick-or-treating.	Children dressed up in costumes for Halloween. Halloween is known for its playful and spooky atmosphere, with haunted houses and costume parties.
56	Valentine’s Day	Noun	A holiday on February 14th to express love and affection.	They exchanged cards and flowers on Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is often associated with romantic dinners, chocolates, and roses.
56	New Year’s Day	Noun	The first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, celebrated on January 1st.	They celebrated New Year's Day with a family brunch. New Year's Day is often marked by resolutions, parades, and special meals.
56	Independence Day	Noun	A national holiday celebrating the anniversary of a country's independence.	Fireworks and parades are traditional on Independence Day. Independence Day often involves patriotic displays, speeches, and community events.
56	Thanksgiving	Noun	A holiday for giving thanks, mainly celebrated in the U.S. and Canada.	The family gathered for a Thanksgiving feast. Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated with a meal featuring turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
56	Carnival	Noun	A festive season occurring before Lent, typically involving public celebrations, parades, and masquerades.	The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous in the world. Carnival is known for its vibrant costumes, music, and dancing.
56	Parade	Noun	A public procession celebrating a special day or event.	The parade had floats and bands. Parades celebrate holidays and pride.

Culture and Traditions

An essential vocabulary set for teaching customs, celebrations, and how people connect across cultures