Top 15 Most Celebrated Holidays In Order

Bodhi Day is a holiday celebrated mostly by Buddhists to commemorate the day of Gautam Buddha's enlightenment. 

The holiday is celebrated based on the Chinese calendar on day eight of the 12th lunar month. Despite originating from China, the festival is not limited to the country as Buddhist followers all over the world celebrate it, but with variations.

For instance, Japan celebrates the holiday on December 8 every year. The country fixed the date in the Georgian calendar during the westernization of the country during the Meiji Restoration. 

Bodhi Day is mostly observed in China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, among other countries.

The tradition of celebrating the holiday largely varies from country to country and person to person. However, most of the devotees celebrate the festival by chanting Buddhist sacred texts, doing acts of kindness, meditating, or having a traditional meal of tea and cake.

Diwali is celebrated by followers of the Hindu religion, mainly in the Indian subcontinent. 

The festival is celebrated for five or six days depending upon the place and culture. It falls on the Hindu lunar calendar in the month of Kartik. The date generally falls in October and November of the Georgian Calendar.

Diwali starts with worshipping different animals daily and concludes with worshiping brothers by sisters. It is mainly focused on the Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of Wealth).

The festival, also called the festival of lights, falls on the day Lord Ram returned to his kingdom with his wife Sita after defeating Ravan. It is celebrated by lighting different lights to symbolize the defeat of darkness by light, evil by good, and ignorance by knowledge.

Hindus celebrate the festival by decorating their homes with lights and flowers. They also form a group and visit house to house singing religious Deusi (like Christmas Carol).

Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr is a holiday celebrated by Muslim people. 

Eid al-Fitr is a month-long festival celebrated by Muslim devotees in the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan. The holiday is based on the citing of the moon by the Islamic religious authorities.

In 2022, Eid al-Fitr was celebrated on May 1 and 2, depending on the country's geography. In 2023, the festival will be celebrated on April 21 and 22, depending on the location.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of a month-long dawn-to-dusk fasting by Islam followers.

Every year, Muslim devotees practice month-long fasting, during which they refrain from eating or drinking water from sunrise to sunset. However, they can enjoy delicacies at night.

In Arabic and Muslim countries, streets are often filled with charity food stands for the people during Ramadan.

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival celebrating Jerusalem's recovery from the Romans and the rededication of the Second Temple. 

The festival is celebrated for eight straight days from the 25th day of the month of Kislev in the Hebrew Calendar. It generally falls in November and December in the Georgian Calendar. This year Hanukkah will be celebrated from December 18 to December 26. 

The holiday is celebrated by lighting candles. However, there are strict instructions to light the candles, and several rules must be followed. There are eight candles to be lit; the candles are lit on specially designed candle holders called menorah or hanukkiah. These candle holders are unique because the eight arms of the holder sit equal while one is either lower or higher. 

The higher or lower arm of the candle holder rests Shammash, a dedicated candle to light other candles. Each day, one new candle is placed until all eight candles are lit on the festival's last day. Put simply, you light one candle on the first day, two on the second day, and so on. 

Día de Muertos is a Mexican holiday that translates to Day of the Dead in English. 

The holiday is celebrated on November 1 and 2 every year. However, depending on the location, it can be observed between October 31 to November 6.

Día de Muertos is mainly celebrated by people of Mexican heritage worldwide. 

While it sounds terrifying, in reality, it is the opposite of how it sounds.

People gather with their friends and family on the day of celebration to remember the family members and friends who have passed away. The holiday turns humorous as people often remember good memories along with funny stories and events with the lost ones.

Oktoberfest is not exactly a religious festival but a carnival held annually in Munich, Germany. 

The festival is celebrated with parades, music, dancing, and, most importantly, drinking beers. It is held for 16 days from mid-September every year to the first Sunday of October. However, if the first Sunday of October falls before the third day, the festival continues until October 3. 

Over 6 million people visit the festival annually to enjoy the amusement rides and music. People from around Germany visit the festival, while international visitors from other parts of Europe, North and South America, and Asia are also in impressive numbers. 

While there is no religious significance to Oktoberfest, the tradition dates back to October 12, 1810, when King Ludwig I married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen and invited citizens of Munich to celebrate the royal wedding.

Independence Day in the United States of America is celebrated on July 4 every year. 

The federal holiday is given to celebrate the declaration of independence and the establishment of the country, signed by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The holiday is also known as the Fourth of July in the United States. 

Every year millions of citizens of the USA celebrate the festival by taking part in parades and events conducted around the country. Other activities undertaken on Independence Day include gathering with family, attending fairs and carnivals, barbeque, baseball games, and fireworks, among others. 

While the Independence day of the US is only celebrated within the political boundary of the country, other countries around the world celebrate their independence on different dates. 

Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. 

The holiday generally falls between January 21 and February 20 every year. The first day of the Chinese calendar begins with the sighting of a new moon between the designated dates. 

Chinese New Year is celebrated similarly to the Georgian New Year. The celebration includes gathering with family and friends, enjoying delicious food and delicacies, fireworks, and money exchange in a red envelope. 

Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, and it lasts for 15 days with different styles of celebration each day. New Year's eve is celebrated by having dinner with friends and family, followed by other traditional celebrations.

New Year, the first day of the Georgian calendar, is celebrated worldwide. 

While there are no set practices to celebrate the new year, people enjoy the festival differently. The festival is always celebrated on January 1, and western countries celebrate a week-long holiday from Christmas to New Year every year. 

Generally, people celebrate New Year by gathering with their friends and family members. Most people enjoy drinking alcohol and going to dance parties and events.

Halloween is a Christian festival celebrated to mark the beginning of Allhallowtide. 

Halloween is celebrated on October 31 every year in western countries. It is the first day of Allhallowtide which comprises three days of celebration of All Saints' Eve, aka Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day.

The holiday exists to remember the dead, including Saints, martyrs, and the departed.

The festival is enjoyed by carving pumpkins, wearing scary costumes, and gathering with friends and family. Similarly, children often go from house to house asking for treats, usually sweets or confectionaries.

St. Patrick's Day is mostly celebrated by, but not limited to, followers of Christianity.

The holiday falls on March 17 every year, marking the death anniversary of St. Patrick or the foremost saint of Ireland.

It also commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The holiday has been celebrated since the 17th century after it was officiated as a Christain feast day. In general, St. Patrick's Day is observed to cherish Irish culture. 

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people with parades and festivals. People generally wear a green dress in honor of St. Patrick.

Public festivals and gathering with family and friends are other common celebrations among the North American and European people.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November in the USA, but other countries have different dates. 

Thanksgiving is said to have started as a day of giving thanks for the fruitful harvest. But, the history of the holiday appears to be much more complicated.

According to Delish, the first official citation of Thanksgiving came after volunteers massacred over 700 people on the orders of Massachusetts Colony Governor John Winthrop. 

Whatever the history, Thanksgiving is celebrated with family and friends by enjoying a fabulous meal. 

A Thanksgiving dinner's primary attraction is roasted or fried turkey. It is celebrated in several countries around the world, and most of the countries have their separate dates. 

For instance, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the 2nd Monday of October, Germany on the 1st Sunday of October, and so on. 

Christmas is primarily associated with Christianity; however, the festival is equally enjoyed by non-Christians.

The annual holiday is celebrated on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.

The date was fixed in the early 4th century by the church after mass confusion, and several hypotheses started floating among the people regarding the birthdate of baby Jesus. 

As Christmas is celebrated equally by Christian and non-Christian people, the theme of the holiday celebration can vary largely.

Generally, religious people have a special prayer at the church, which is followed by special services. Non-religious people celebrate the holiday by gathering with their family and sharing a meal together while exchanging gifts.

Christmas tree decorations and the exchange of gifts are carried out alike by religious and non-religious people.

Easter is observed to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 

The holiday falls in the month of March, April, or May. The date is derived based on computation from the lunisolar calendar, but the holiday always falls on Sunday. 

Although there is no explicit rule that Easter Holiday must fall on Sunday, that has been in practice since the beginning of the tradition in the early 3rd century. 

Christain devotees celebrate the festival all week long; the celebration and observance start a week earlier. The Friday before Easter is called Good Friday, making the crucifixion of Jesus. Similarly, the following Monday is called Easter Monday, and it is a legal holiday in most parts of the world where Christianity is predominant.

Valentine's Day started as a Christian holiday but has become a day to celebrate romance and love. 

The holiday is observed on February 14 every year; it was initially celebrated to honor the early Christian Martyr Saint Valentine. However, the holiday is now regarded as a day to celebrate love and romance.

Valentine's Day is celebrated by exchanging gifts among lovers. In pop culture, roses or chocolates are exchanged with other gifts. Teddy bears, red-hearts gift items, and a couple of special packages are predominantly seen on market during the weeks leading to Valentine's Day. 

Although Valentine's Day is an official feast in several churches, there is no public holiday in any country around the world.

Despite not being a public holiday in any part of the world, it is one of the most popular festivals in the world.