60 Examples of Local Culture

John Spacey, updated on September 23, 2023

Local culture is the shared meaning and identity that emerges in a place such as a city, town or neighborhood. This includes the norms, roles and expectations that help people to get along in a community. Local culture also includes the colorful aspects of life that give life meaning such as celebrations, cuisine and stories. The following are common examples of local culture.

Ancestral worship practices	Architectural styles
Beliefs	Ceremonies
Community gatherings	Cooking methods
Costumes	Crafts
Cuisine	Cultural inclusion & exclusion
Etiquette & manners	Expressions & sayings
Fairs & carnivals	Festivals
Foods & dishes	Harvest celebrations
Heritage sites	Historical buildings
Holiday traditions	Hospitality norms
Language & dialects	Lifestyles
Local attractions	Local beverages
Local businesses of note to the culture	Local celebrities
Local construction methods	Local fashion
Local heroes	Local holidays
Local identity	Local markets
Local multicultural traditions	Local music
Local parties & celebrations	Local sports
Local symbols	Meaningful places
Murals & street art	Museums
Names of places	Natural heritage such as beaches
Norms	Norms enforcement
Parades	Play and local games
Public space	Rites of passage
Roles and expectations	Sense of place
Slang & colloquialisms	Stories & myths
Street food	Superstitions
Taboos	Traditional dance
Traditional economy	Traditional markets
Values	Way of life

Local culture should not be confused with national culture. It is common for a nation to have many local and regional cultures.

It is very common for local culture to be multicultural.

Local culture is primarily associated with traditional culture but can also include new elements such as youth culture. For example, a city or neighborhood that becomes the center of a music or fashion scene.

Next: Traditional Culture

More about traditional culture:

Cultural Transmission