UNESCO added 39 traditions to its cultural heritage list in December 2021, including some from countries represented for the first time.

The traditions, which come from all over the world, were added by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to UNESCO. This year’s decision was a landmark for Montenegro, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Denmark, the Seychelles, the Federated States of Micronesia, Timor-Leste, Iceland, and Haiti, which each had something presented for inscription on the list for the first time.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists currently feature 630 elements from 140 countries.

The list now includes a range of cultural traditions from Arabic calligraphy to falconry, Danish Inuit drum dancing and singing, Maltese folksong, Haitian soup, and even truffle hunting in Italy.

In addition to the traditions that have been added, UNESCO also placed four things on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, including nomad games, rediscovering heritage, and celebrating diversity in Kyrgyzstan; and success story of promoting traditional foods and safeguarding traditional foodways in Kenya.

In July 2021, UNESCO also added several new additions to its World Heritage list, including Madrid’s Retiro Park and the Trans-Iranian Railway. In total, there are more than 1,100 World Heritage sites around the world spread over 167 countries, a combination of cultural, natural, and mixed sites, according to the group.

These are the traditions that have been added to this year’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List and the countries where they take place.

United Arab Emirates, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic: Falconry, a living human heritageSaudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen: Arabic calligraphy, knowledge, skills and practicesDenmark; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Sweden: Nordic clinker boat traditionsDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Congo: Congolese rumbaPlurinational State of Bolivia: Grand Festival of TarijaBolivarian Republic of Venezuela: Festive cycle around the devotion and worship towards Saint John the BaptistEcuador: Pasillo, song and poetryPanama: Dances and expressions associated with the Corpus Christi FestivityPeru: Pottery-related values, knowledge, lore and practices of the Awajún peopleMalaysia: SongketIndonesia: GamelanThailand: Nora, dance drama in southern ThailandViet Nam: Art of Xòe dance of the Tai people in Viet NamIndia: Durga Puja in KolkataSri Lanka: Traditional craftsmanship of making Dumbara Ratā KalālaTurkmenistan: Dutar making craftsmanship and traditional music performing art combined with singingSeychelles: MoutyaMadagascar: Malagasy Kabary, the Malagasy oratorical artSenegal: Ceebu Jën, a culinary art of SenegalBahrain: FjiriIraq: Traditional craft skills and arts of Al-NaoorPalestine: The art of embroidery in Palestine, practices, skills, knowledge and ritualsSyrian Arab Republic: Al-Qudoud al-HalabiyaMorocco: TbouridaTurkey: Hüsn-i Hat, traditional calligraphy in Islamic art in TurkeyFinland: Kaustinen fiddle playing and related practices and expressionsDenmark: Inuit drum dancing and singingMalta: L-Għana, a Maltese folksong traditionPortugal: Community festivities in Campo MaiorTajikistan: FalakBulgaria: Visoko multipart singing from Dolen and Satovcha, South-western BulgariaUkraine: Ornek, a Crimean Tatar ornament and knowledge about itBelgium: Namur stilt joustingItaly: Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy, traditional knowledge and practiceNetherlands: Corso culture, flower and fruit parades in the NetherlandsUzbekistan: Bakhshi artMontenegro: Cultural Heritage of Boka Navy Kotor: a festive representation of a memory and cultural identityPoland: Flower carpets tradition for Corpus Christi processionsHaiti: Joumou soup

UNESCO added 39 traditions to its cultural heritage list in December 2021, including some from countries represented for the first time.

The traditions, which come from all over the world, were added by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to UNESCO. This year’s decision was a landmark for Montenegro, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Denmark, the Seychelles, the Federated States of Micronesia, Timor-Leste, Iceland, and Haiti, which each had something presented for inscription on the list for the first time.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists currently feature 630 elements from 140 countries.

The list now includes a range of cultural traditions from Arabic calligraphy to falconry, Danish Inuit drum dancing and singing, Maltese folksong, Haitian soup, and even truffle hunting in Italy.

In addition to the traditions that have been added, UNESCO also placed four things on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, including nomad games, rediscovering heritage, and celebrating diversity in Kyrgyzstan; and success story of promoting traditional foods and safeguarding traditional foodways in Kenya.

In July 2021, UNESCO also added several new additions to its World Heritage list, including Madrid’s Retiro Park and the Trans-Iranian Railway. In total, there are more than 1,100 World Heritage sites around the world spread over 167 countries, a combination of cultural, natural, and mixed sites, according to the group.

These are the traditions that have been added to this year’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List and the countries where they take place.

  • United Arab Emirates, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic: Falconry, a living human heritageSaudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen: Arabic calligraphy, knowledge, skills and practicesDenmark; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Sweden: Nordic clinker boat traditionsDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Congo: Congolese rumbaPlurinational State of Bolivia: Grand Festival of TarijaBolivarian Republic of Venezuela: Festive cycle around the devotion and worship towards Saint John the BaptistEcuador: Pasillo, song and poetryPanama: Dances and expressions associated with the Corpus Christi FestivityPeru: Pottery-related values, knowledge, lore and practices of the Awajún peopleMalaysia: SongketIndonesia: GamelanThailand: Nora, dance drama in southern ThailandViet Nam: Art of Xòe dance of the Tai people in Viet NamIndia: Durga Puja in KolkataSri Lanka: Traditional craftsmanship of making Dumbara Ratā KalālaTurkmenistan: Dutar making craftsmanship and traditional music performing art combined with singingSeychelles: MoutyaMadagascar: Malagasy Kabary, the Malagasy oratorical artSenegal: Ceebu Jën, a culinary art of SenegalBahrain: FjiriIraq: Traditional craft skills and arts of Al-NaoorPalestine: The art of embroidery in Palestine, practices, skills, knowledge and ritualsSyrian Arab Republic: Al-Qudoud al-HalabiyaMorocco: TbouridaTurkey: Hüsn-i Hat, traditional calligraphy in Islamic art in TurkeyFinland: Kaustinen fiddle playing and related practices and expressionsDenmark: Inuit drum dancing and singingMalta: L-Għana, a Maltese folksong traditionPortugal: Community festivities in Campo MaiorTajikistan: FalakBulgaria: Visoko multipart singing from Dolen and Satovcha, South-western BulgariaUkraine: Ornek, a Crimean Tatar ornament and knowledge about itBelgium: Namur stilt joustingItaly: Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy, traditional knowledge and practiceNetherlands: Corso culture, flower and fruit parades in the NetherlandsUzbekistan: Bakhshi artMontenegro: Cultural Heritage of Boka Navy Kotor: a festive representation of a memory and cultural identityPoland: Flower carpets tradition for Corpus Christi processionsHaiti: Joumou soup