International Mountain Day was first celebrated on 11 December 2003, following a United Nations General Assembly resolution that designated it a global observance to highlight the importance of mountains and promote sustainable mountain development. But long before the world agreed to mark the date, mountain peoples across continents had already honoured their peaks with reverence, ritual, and deep ecological wisdom. From Sikkim’s Pang Lhabsol dedicated to Khangchendzonga, to the Andean Qoyllur Rit’i pilgrimage venerating the apus, to Japan’s Shugend? practices, Korea’s Sanshin mountain rites, and the sacred traditions around Mount Kenya, communities have long treated mountains as guardians, givers, and living beings