[ad_1]
Sauna culture in Finland, sourdough making in Malta, Budima dance in Zambia and a lawn mowing competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been added to the prestigious list of intangible cultural heritage of the United Nations. for Education, Science and Culture.
Entries were among 35 from around the world added to the list for 2020, and also included the tradition of playing the hunting horn, a status jointly awarded to Italy, France, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as the art of crafting. of glass beads. .
Traditional saunas have been a mainstay of Finnish culture for thousands of years, with an estimated 3 million saunas in a country of 5.5 million people. A Finnish person, on average, takes at least one sauna a week.
“The sauna culture in Finland is an integral part of life for the majority of the Finnish population,” said UNESCO. “Sauna culture, which can take place in homes or public places, involves much more than just washing yourself. In a sauna, people cleanse their bodies and minds and adopt a sense of inner peace. “
Among the culinary arts that received special status were Maltese sourdough making and couscous, the latter candidate jointly submitted by Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania.
“Traditions define us,” wrote UNESCO about the recognition of couscous on social media. “Our differences don’t matter, we are one. The knowledge, practices and traditions related to the preparation and consumption of couscous have just been inscribed on the list of intangible heritage ”.
In Kupres, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the lawn mowing competition, which takes place every July on a specific meadow called Strljanica, is considered the most important event on the social calendar.
“The contest consists of the manual cutting of grass with a scythe and is judged by the time, effort and amount cut, since cutting the grass at that altitude requires strength and special technique,” said UNESCO. “The top three reapers are recognized, and the top reaper is treated as a leader who ensures the successful mowing of all fields to collect hay for cattle; agriculture and livestock are essential parts of the economy of the area. Men, from the age of 18, are traditionally the competitors, and the element is transmitted within families from father to son ”.
The women, meanwhile, rake the lawn and prepare food for the guests.
Zambia was awarded Unesco status for Budima: “a warrior dance performed throughout the year by the people of Wee on a number of dark and spiritual occasions.”
The tradition of playing the hunting horn began in France before becoming established in the Benelux countries and in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Unesco said that “playing the horn is a performative art open to musical creativity and practiced on festive occasions.”
The art of glass bead making was jointly awarded to Italy and France. In Italy, glass bead crafts were taking place in Venice at least since the 14th century. A specialty of Murano, one of the islands in the Venetian lagoon, artisans use a blowtorch in a delicate process that involves spinning glass beads that can then be used in jewelry.
