28 Most Celebrated Holidays Around the World
There are holidays so universally celebrated worldwide that nations come together to mark them—some even cross boundaries and bring various cultures together to share one moment of joy. They are not merely calendar dates; they are mental bookmarks in man's new.
From ancient ceremonies to modern-day miracles, below are 28 of the world's most popular holidays, with colorful information, holiday greeting ideas, and advice on sending beautiful digital greeting cards on Sendwishonline.com to loved ones and friends across the globe.
1. New Year's Eve & New Year's Day
When: December 31 – January 1
Where: Global
Whatever you're doing, wherever you're watching fireworks light up New York's Times Square, Sydney Harbour, or London's Thames—the countdown to midnight is exciting wherever you are. It's a new beginning, a time to make resolutions and start anew.
Wishes & Messages:
"Here's to another year of dreams, possibilities, and bliss."
"May the next 12 months be your best yet."
"Happy New Year—let's make this one unforgettable!"
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send a New Year's card in a group where sending personalized messages, photos, and e-confetti is an option.
2. Christmas
When: December 25
Where: USA, Europe, and Christian global communities
From decorating the trees to gifts, Christmas brings together religious meaning with the overall practice of sharing and closeness. Coast-to-coast lights shine and homes fill the air with cinnamon and pine around the USA.
Wishes & Messages
We hope your home has peace, happiness, and all the magic of the season.
"Merry Christmas! Let love shine on your home."
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send an Easter photo card that can be signed by anyone and adorned with holly stickers.
3. Easter
When: March or April (dependent)
Where: Majority Christian countries
Easter is a celebration that is used to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but egg hunt day, brunch celebrations, and get-togethers of family and friends are also included. Easter sees churches holding sunrise services, and children being given chocolate eggs in Easter baskets.
Wishes & Messages:
"May your Easter be blessed with joy and blessing."
"Happy Easter—life, hope, and rebirth."
"Sending sunshine and love your way this Easter."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Choose light-colored eCards with spring flowers and bunnies hopping about.
4. Thanksgiving
When: Fourth Thursday in November (USA) | Second Monday in October (Canada)
Where: North America
The decidedly North American holiday of Thanksgiving is a feast of gratitude, family members, and (happily) mouth-watering fare. Macy's Parade marks the beginning of the day, then turkey, stuffing, and good jokes around the dinner plate.
Wishes & Messages:
"Thanks to friends like you—Happy Thanksgiving!"
"May blessings be numerous and troubles be few."
"Warmth, love, and lots of pie. Wishing you now."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: A family Valentine's card provides a means for multiple members of a family to send Valentine's best wishes to one another, despite being distant.
5. Valentine's Day
When: February 14
Where: Everywhere
Valentine's Day is celebrated to honor love in its various forms—romantic, friendship, and familial. Americans send over 145 million Valentine's cards per year with warm letters, chocolates, and flowers.
Wishes & Messages:
"Wishing Happy Valentine's Day to the one who makes my heart skip."
"Love you today, tomorrow, and forever."
"You are my favorite everything."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Design photo eCards with love letters to girlfriends or boyfriends.
6. Halloween
When: October 31
Where: USA, Canada, UK, and it spreads everywhere in the world
Neighborhood parties and costume tricks mix on Halloween. Costume parties, trick-or-treating, haunted houses, and pumpkin carving all mix to provide one of the USA's most beloved holidays.
Wishes & Messages:
"Have a fang-tastic Halloween!"
"Drink, eat, and be frightening."
"Wishing you a ghostly good night."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send ghostly floating eCards or candy-shaped eCards.
7. Independence Day (USA)
When: July 4
Where: United States
4th of July commemorates freedom with barbecues, parades, and dazzling fireworks. It's American Pride Day to mark and remember with a national community celebration.
Wishes & Messages:
"Happy Independence Day—let freedom shine!"
"Proud to be an American today and always."
"Celebrate with pride and joy this 4th of July."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send red, white, and blue-design eCards to relatives and friends.
8. Chinese New Year
When: January or February (varies)
Where: India, Nepal, Hindu and Sikh communities worldwide
Diwali is temple trips, candles, fireworks, flowers, and sweets offered to Goddess Lakshmi. Motifs and traditions every year are determined by the zodiac animal.
Wishes & Messages:
"Gong Xi Fa Cai—wishing you prosperity."
"Happy Lunar New Year—may good fortune smile upon you."
"Wishing health, happiness, and good luck this year."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send red-and-gold eCards to celebrate good fortune.
9. Diwali
When: October or November (varies)
Where: India, Nepal, and the Indian diaspora worldwide
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is the victory of light over darkness. Oil lamps illuminate homes, sweets are exchanged, and fireworks illuminate the sky.
Wishes & Messages:
"May your Diwali shine as brightly as your heart."
"Wishing you happiness, good health, and joy."
"Happy Diwali—let's light up the world."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send brightly colored, celebratory Hanukkah greeting cards to exchange holiday wishes across oceans.
10. Hanukkah
When: November or December (varies by year)
Where: Jewish communities all over the globe
Hanukkah is a week of celebration and commemoration, praising the miracle of oil. Families gather 'round to light the menorahs, spin dreidels, and enjoy traditional cuisine.
Wishes & Messages:
"Happy Hanukkah—may your candles shine brightly."
"Eight nights of love, light, and joy."
"Wishing you a season of miracles."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send personalized Hanukkah messages with personalized blessings for each evening.
11. Mardi Gras
When: February or March (according to the year)
Where: Most widely enjoyed in New Orleans, USA, but also Brazil, Italy, and other countries that celebrate Carnival
Mardi Gras is a celebration of too much African, American, and French heritage. It's on for weeks in New Orleans, with OTT parades, mask ball-style parties, and the ritual chase of catching multicolored beads thrown off floats. There's pulsating live jazz music in the streets, the aroma of beignets scenting cafes, and locals draping the traditional purple, green, and gold. Mardi Gras is more than an American tradition—it's an ancient cultural heritage of the city.
Wishes & Messages
"Let the good times roll—Happy Mardi Gras!"
"Wishing your Mardi Gras to be full of music, full of laughter, and full of color."
"Wishing you joy, beads, and memories to treasure."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send a vibrant and energetic Holi eCard to friends who can't attend parades.
12. Holi – Festival of Colors
When: March (dates vary)
Where: India, Nepal, and Indian communities around the world
Holi is a festival of happiness, new life, and spring, where colour dances in the air. They play in open grounds by throwing coloured powder at each other, dancing to drum rhythms, and nibbling on sweet treats like gujiya. In the US, from New York to San Francisco, cities stage community Holi, and it's free for all those who want to join in.
Wishes & Messages:
"Let your life splash with colour—Happy Holi!"
"Wishing you a season of limitless joy and togetherness."
"Wishing you a rainbow-colored Holi like the colors of your heart."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Our colourful Holi eCards retain the celebratory mood and allow you to splatter splashes of color to anyone in the world—mess-free.
13. Eid al-Fitr
When: Last day of Ramadan (dates vary)
Where: Muslim communities globally
Eid al-Fitr is the festive culmination of a month of fasting and religious reflection in Ramadan. Family members start the day by offering thanksgiving prayers, opening their doors for the reception of family members, and celebrating by having meals. Children are gifted with "Eidi"-presents or cash-and houses are decorated with lights. Public Eid celebrations in America, in most major cities, are held to unite the masses.
Wishes & Messages
"Eid Mubarak! Peace, happiness, and prosperity be with you."
"Wishing you a laughter-filled Eid and lots of love."
"Eid spirit be with you."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Create Eid eCards for sending blessings automatically to far-off family members across other time zones.
14. Eid al-Adha
When: Around 70 days after Eid al-Fitr (dates vary every year)
Where: Muslim communities worldwide
Eid al-Adha, or the "Festival of Sacrifice," is celebrated to honor Ibrahim (Abraham)'s willingness to sacrifice his son when he was complying with God's commands. Eid al-Adha is observed through special nature prayers, disbursement of alms (giving charity), and festivities with family members and poor people. The majority of American Muslims are given one working day off so that they can celebrate with their family members.
Wishes & Messages
"Wishing you peace, joy, and blessings in abundance this Eid al-Adha.
"May your faith grow stronger and your heart full of love."
"Eid Mubarak to you and your loved ones."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Use a religion-themed eCard design when sending best wishes that are appropriate for the day's value.
15. St. Patrick's Day
When: March 17
Where: Ireland, USA, and Irish communities worldwide
St. Patrick's Day is Ireland's cultural-religious holiday celebrating its patron saint. It's become a raucous, all-green party here in the USA—with parades, live music, and even green rivers. Chicago, New York, and Boston have among the biggest outside of Ireland.
Wishes & Messages:
"May your day be lucky and your heart be light—Happy St. Patrick's Day!"
"Wishing you rainbows, laughter, and cheer."
"Here's to a shamrockin' good time!"
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send green eCards with shamrocks and Irish wishes written on them.
16. Bastille Day
Where: France and French communities worldwide
When: July 14
Bastille Day is celebrated for the French Revolution and the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Military parades take place on Paris' Champs-Élysées and fireworks light the Eiffel Tower there. French culture, music, and cuisine are celebrated in U.S. cities that boast a strong French heritage, like New Orleans.
Wishes & Messages:
"Vive la France! Joyeux Bastille Day!"
"Happy Bastille Day, and wishing freedom, unity, and happiness with you."
"Saying you have a day full of pride and celebration."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send our red, white, and blue eCards when you'd like to send Oktoberfest wishes to German family or friends.
17. Oktoberfest
When: Late September to early October
Where: Munich, Germany, and all over the world
Oktoberfest, the world's biggest beer festival, draws millions. It's not the beer—Bavarian heritage at its finest: folk music, good grub, and folk attire like lederhosen and dirndls. Denver and Cincinnati, two American cities, celebrate Oktoberfest as well, so it's become a fall tradition for many.
Wishes & Messages:
"Prost! Happy Oktoberfest!"
"Here's to friendship, music, and good cheer."
"May your stein always be full."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send a fun Oktoberfest eCard to friends you’d love to clink glasses with.
18. Cinco de Mayo
When: May 5
Where: USA, Mexico
Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla but has grown into a broader celebration of Mexican culture, especially in the USA. Expect mariachi music, traditional foods, and vibrant parades in cities like Los Angeles and San Antonio.
Wishes & Messages:
"Wishing happy Cinco de Mayo. Celebrate history and heritage."
"Wishing you happiness, tacos to spare, and music,"
"To honor Mexican pride today and always."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Create vibrant eCards with Mexican-patterned designs to wish someone happy festivities.
19. Mother's Day
When: Second Sunday in May (USA)
Where: Celebrated everywhere across the globe on various dates
Mother's Day is celebrated to acknowledge mothers and mother figures' love, sacrifices, and dedication. The family sends flowers, takes the moms out for brunch, or sends love cards on Mother's Day in the US. It is one of the most trafficked card-received holidays of the year.
Wishes & Messages:
"Happy Mother's Day to the heart of our home."
"Thank you for your infinite love and care."
"You're the best, Mom—today and every day."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send photo eCards to create memories with your dad.
20. Father's Day
When: Third Sunday in June (USA)
Where: Observed everywhere in the world on various dates
Father's Day is a day to make fatherly figures, dads, and granddads feel special. The USA family devotes most of the day indoors with BBQ, games, or with gifts of thoughtfulness. Thoughtfulness and love cards are essentials.
Wishes & Messages:
"Happy Father's Day to the world's best dad."
"Thanks for the humor, brains, and affection."
"You're always my hero."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send customized eCards with messages and photos that Dad will love.
21. Labor Day
When: First Monday, September (USA)
Where: USA, Canada, and globally (varies)
Labor Day in the USA is a remembrance of American workers' struggle and achievement. It is also a reflection day for workers' rights as well as a way to usher in the unofficial start of autumn. There are also parades in cities, and families are planning last beach vacations, backyard picnics, and casual gatherings prior to autumn routines kicking in.
Wishes & Messages:
"Happy Labor Day! To hard work, rest, and balance."
"Wishing you a relaxing day of rest and celebration."
"Hope your Labor Day weekend is warm and full of happiness."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send a happy Labor Day eCard to your employees, coworkers, or friends to thank them for their hard work.
22. Veterans Day
When: November 11 (USA)
Where: United States
Veterans Day is employed to honor all the U.S. military veterans who served and made sacrifices. It is celebrated by way of ceremonies, parades, and memorials. Special events are organized in schools and public places in most towns, and families do make time to personally thank the people who served as well.
Wishes & Messages:
"Thank you, veterans, with respect, honor, and gratitude."
"Your courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten."
"Saluting all the people who served this Veterans Day."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send patriotic eCards with genuine gratitude to personally known veterans.
23. Memorial Day
When: Last Monday in May (USA)
Where: United States
Memorial Day is a holiday honoring people who have died in the armed forces. It is a holiday that people go to with cemeteries, commemoration ceremonies, or flags at graves. It is also the de facto start of summer and is usually celebrated with picnics, parades, and family gatherings.
Wishes & Messages:
"Honoring and remembering our heroes this Memorial Day."
"Thankfulness to those who sacrificed all for our freedom."
"We recall with pride and affection."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Create Memorial Day eCards that blend remembrance and inspiring images to express the day's spirit.
24. International Women's Day
When: March 8
Where: International
International Women's Day is observed to honor the progress made by women and demand gender equality. Across the world, rallies, panel discussions, and local activities celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political contributions of women. In the USA, schools, businesses, and civic societies generally hold motivational events.
Wishes & Messages:
"Here's to strong women—may we know them, be them, and raise them."
"Happy Women's Day! Keep inspiring the world."
"Wishing you all the joy today and always."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send inspirational eCards to the women who have shaped your work life and life.
25. International Day of Friendship
When: July 30
Where: Worldwide
International Day of Friendship inspires peace, harmony, and human relations. Friends exchange significant greetings, recall memories, and cherish the friendship that has no bounds. It is the optimum time to remind people how much they are appreciated.
Wishes & Messages
"Every friend is a gem—Happy Friendship Day!"
"May laughter, love, and loyalty always be yours."
"Thanks for being my rock this year."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Make a group eCard where everybody can add photos, jokes, and personal greetings.
26. World Teachers' Day
When: October 5
Where: Worldwide
Teachers' Day globally is a day for celebrating the efforts and toil of teachers all over the world. Students at schools across the USA offer cards, bouquets, and gifts to teachers who have influenced their lives. It is also a day to reflect upon how a good education impacts every life.
Wishes & Messages:
"Thanks for lighting the path to knowledge."
"Teachers' Day wishes to a true inspiration."
"Your advice changes lives—thanks."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Send appreciation eCards personally to a whole class or team to a favorite teacher.
27. Earth Day
When: April 22
Where: Globally
All about green campaigning and sensitization on Earth Day. Everybody all around the globe organizes tree-planting campaigns, cleanliness initiatives, and awareness programs. Institutions and schools in the USA usually make use of the day to promote environmentally friendly behavior, ranging from recycling campaigns to green challenges.
Wishes & Messages:
"Let's love and save our planet—Happy Earth Day!"
"Little things today add up to a big difference tomorrow."
"Wishing you a greener, cleaner future."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Create nature-based eCards that encourage others to be green.
28. New Year's Eve (Global Countdown Celebrations)
When: December 31 (but preparation starts earlier)
Where: Global
While New Year’s Eve is already on this list in a global context, it’s worth noting that for many countries, it’s more than a midnight countdown—it’s a full day (and sometimes week) of parties, music, and community gatherings. In the USA, cities host massive concerts, waterfront fireworks, and televised specials watched by millions. Whether you’re celebrating with champagne in New York or sparklers in your backyard, the excitement is universal.
Wishes & Messages:
"To a new beginning—Cheers, Happy New Year's Eve!"
"To memories we have made, and memories still to be made—Let's toast."
"Wishing you a happy, safe countdown to midnight."
Sendwishonline.com Tip: Greet the start of the new year by sending an eCard with the theme of midnight to your friends to join in online or in-the-flesh festivities.
Last Call to Celebrate & Connect
From honoring history on Veterans Day to dancing in the city streets of Mardi Gras, these 28 holidays tell us the amazing ways we humans do celebrate life. And at their heart is connection—and that is where Sendwishonline.com shines.
You can create beautiful, customized online greeting cards for any event, add photos and group signatures, and send them in seconds—wherever your loved ones are based across the globe.
For because when we share about our dreams, we spread happiness—and happiness is a joy worth sharing every day of the year.