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La marche des sonneurs de cloches du carnaval annuel de la région de Kastav
During the January carnival period, bell ringers march through the villages that dot the Kastav region in north-west Croatia. Clothed in sheepskin throws with bells around their waists and sporting distinctive hats embellished with sprigs of evergreen, two to more than thirty ringers swagger in groups behind a guide carrying a small...
EuropeCroatiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le rituel du Căluş
Performed in the Olt region of southern Romania, the Căluş ritual dance also formed part of the cultural heritage of the Vlachs of Bulgaria and Serbia. Although the oldest documented music used in this dance dates from the seventeenth century, the ritual probably derived from ancient purification and fertility rites using the symbol of...
EuropeRomaniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le découpage de papier chinois
Present throughout China and in various ethnic groups, paper-cut is a popular art integral to everyday lives. A predominantly female pursuit, it is transmitted from mother to daughter over a long period of time, beginning in childhood, and is particularly common in rural areas. It earns the most skilful artists respect and admiration....
East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Les pratiques culturelles associées au 1er Mars
Cultural Practices Associated to the 1st of March comprise traditions transmitted since ancient times to celebrate the beginning of spring. The main practice consists of making, offering and wearing a red and white thread, which is then untied when the first blossom tree, swallow or stork is seen. A few other local practices also form...
EuropeBulgaria / North MacedoniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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La danse des fermiers du groupe ethnique coréen en Chine
Gathering in fields or villages during community festivals, members of the Korean ethnic group in Jilin and other provinces in north-eastern China offer a traditional sacrifice to the God of the Land to pay homage to nature and pray for good fortune and a plentiful harvest. This is the beginning of the farmers’ dance of China’s Korean...
East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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La fête de saint Blaise, saint patron de Dubrovnik
The evening before the festivity of Saint Blaise in Dubrovnik, Croatia, as all the church bells in the city ring and white doves are released as symbols of peace, worshippers gather for a ritual healing of the throat to preserve them against illness. On the third of February, the official day of both saint and city, parish banner...
EuropeCroatiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le Ganggangsullae
Ganggangsullae is a seasonal harvest and fertility ritual popular in the south-western part of the Republic of Korea, performed primarily on Korea’s Thanksgiving in the eighth lunar month. Under a bright full moon, dozens of young, unmarried village women gather in a circle, join hands and sing and dance all night under the direction of...
East AsiaKorea, Republic ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le masque Ijele
In many communities in the state of Anambra in south-eastern Nigeria, celebrations, burial ceremonies and other special occasions during the dry season to evoke fertility and a bountiful harvest feature the performance of the Ijele masquerade. The mask is about four metres tall – so large that it takes a hundred men six months of work...
AfricaNigeriaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Les Krakelingen et le Tonnekensbrand, fête du feu et du pain de la fin de l’hiver à Grammont
The city of Geraardsbergen holds its annual market on the first Monday in March and celebrates the end of winter on Sunday eight days earlier, with the festival of Krakelingen and Tonnekensbrad. In the days before, shopkeepers decorate their windows, bakers bake special ring-shaped breads called krakelingen, and schoolteachers recount a...
EuropeBelgiumNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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La cérémonie de purification des garçons chez les Lango du centre-nord de l’Ouganda
The male-child cleansing ceremony, performed among the Lango people of central northern Uganda, is a healing ritual for a male child believed to have lost his manhood. During the ceremony, the mother and male child spend three days inside the house and eat unsweetened millet porridge. The child is treated as a baby for the duration of...
AfricaUgandaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le culte et les rituels de Mazu
As the most influential goddess of the sea in China, Mazu is at the centre of a host of beliefs and customs, including oral traditions, religious ceremonies and folk practices, throughout the country’s coastal areas. Mazu is believed to have lived in the tenth century on Meizhou Island, where she dedicated herself to helping her fellow...
East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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La danse Mbende Jerusarema
The Mbende Jerusarema Dance is a popular dance style practiced by the Zezuru Shona people living in eastern Zimbabwe, especially in the Murewa and Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe districts. The dance is characterized by acrobatic and sensual movements by women and men, driven by a polyrhythmic drummer accompanied by men playing woodblock...
AfricaZimbabweNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le Meshrep
Found among the Uygur people concentrated largely in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Meshrep constitutes the most important cultural carrier of Uygur traditions. A complete Meshrep event includes a rich collection of traditions and performance arts, such as music, dance, drama, folk arts, acrobatics, oral literature, foodways...
East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le Nestinarstvo, messages du passé : le panagyr des saints Constantin et Hélène dans le village de Bulgari
The Nestinarstvo fire-dancing rite is the climax of the annual Panagyr ritual on the feast days of Saints Constantine and Helena (3 and 4 June) in the village of Bulgari, in the Mount Strandzha region of south-east Bulgaria. The ritual is held to ensure the well-being and fertility of the village. In the morning, consecrated and...
EuropeBulgariaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Pujllay et Ayarichi : musiques et danses de la culture yampara
Pujllay and Ayarichi are the main musical and choreographic forms of the Yampara culture. They complement each other and form a whole: Pujllay linked to the rainy season and Ayarichi to the dry. Pujllay is performed primarily by males, during the ritual of the same name celebrating the renewal of life and abundance brought on by rains....
Latin America and CaribbeanBolivia, Plurinational State ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Le pysanka, tradition et art ukrainiens de décorer des œufs
The art of decorating eggs is a centuries-old Ukrainian tradition. Traditional patterns and symbols are applied to the egg using wax. The egg is then dipped into dye, covering all but the waxed areas. The process is repeated to achieve the desired pattern and colours. Personal wishes and messages are captured in the symbols used....
EuropeUkraine / EstoniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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La cérémonie rituelle des Voladores
The ritual ceremony of the Voladores (‘flying men’) is a fertility dance performed by several ethnic groups in Mexico and Central America, especially the Totonac people in the eastern state of Veracruz, to express respect for and harmony with the natural and spiritual worlds. During the ceremony, four young men climb a wooden pole...
Latin America and CaribbeanMexicoNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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L'Hıdrellez, fête du printemps
The Spring Celebration ‘Hidrellez’ takes place annually on 6 May, which is recognized as Spring Day, or the awakening of nature. ‘Hidrellez’ is a compound noun derived from ‘Hidir’ and ‘Ilyas’, which are believed to be the protectors of earth and water and the helpers of individuals, families and communities in need of them. To mark...
Global DiasporasNorth Macedonia / TürkiyeNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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La zaffa dans le mariage traditionnel
The zaffa is a traditional bridal procession that marks a couple’s transition from single to married life. It involves rituals, music, dance and a festive gathering. The zaffa begins with careful preparations. The bride undergoes cleansing rituals and applies henna, while special clothes, jewellery and other adornments are prepared for...
Global DiasporasDjibouti / ComorosNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Les fêtes de l'hiver, le carnaval de Podence
Winter festivities, Carnival of Podence is a social practice which initially functioned as a rite of passage for men. Now extended to women and children, it has been readjusted to its contemporary context. The festivity is associated with the celebration of the end of winter and the arrival of spring and takes place over three days in...
EuropePortugalNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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