This article lists the practices listed in UNESCO intangible cultural heritage to Mexico.
Understand
The country has ten practices included in the "representative list of intangible cultural heritage From UNESCO.
A practice is included in the "register of best practices for safeguarding culture ».
No additional practice is repeated on the "emergency backup list ».
Lists
Representative list
| Convenient | Year | Domain | Description | Drawing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indigenous festivals dedicated to the dead | 2008 | * social practices, rituals and festive events * knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe | As practiced by indigenous communities in Mexico, el Día de los Muertos (day of the dead) celebrates the transitional return to earth of deceased parents and loved ones. The festivities take place every year, between late October and early November, a period that marks the end of the annual cycle of growing corn, the country's main food crop. To facilitate the return of the spirits to earth, families dot the path from the house to the cemetery with flower petals, candles and offerings. The deceased’s favorite dishes are prepared and arranged around the family hotel and the grave, surrounded by flowers and various typical handicrafts such as paper figures. The greatest care is taken in all aspects of the preparations because in the popular imagination, a dead person can bring prosperity (for example, a good harvest of corn) or misfortune (illness, accident, financial difficulties etc.) on his or her family according to the seriousness with which the rituals are performed. Deaths are divided into several categories based on cause of death, age, sex and, in some cases, occupation. A day of worship is assigned to each of these categories. This encounter between the living and the dead is an affirmation of the role of the individual in society. It also helps to strengthen the political and social status of indigenous communities in Mexico. The festivals dedicated to the dead are of great importance in the life of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The fusion of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Catholic festivals brings together two worlds, that of indigenous beliefs and that of a vision of the world introduced by Europeans in the sixteenth century. |  |
| The ritual ceremony of the Voladores | 2009 | * social practices, rituals and festive events * knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe * oral traditions and expressions | 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 their respect and harmony with the nature and the spiritual world. During the ceremony, four young men climb a tree trunk eighteen to forty meters high, freshly cut in the forest with the forgiveness of the mountain god. A fifth man, the Corporal, stands on the platform above the pole and his flute and his drum plays tunes in honor of the sun, the four winds and each of the cardinal directions. After this invocation, the others throw themselves "into the void" from the platform. Attached to the platform by long ropes, they twirl as the rope unwinds, imitating the flight of a bird and gradually descending to the ground. Each variation of the dance being a means of reviving the myth of the birth of the universe, the ritual ceremony of the Voladores expresses the vision of the world and the values of the community, facilitates communication with the gods and constitutes a call to the prosperity. For the dancers and the many others who participate in the spirituality of the rite as observers, it arouses a sense of pride and respect for the cultural heritage of one's own identity. |  |
| 1 The places of memory and living traditions of the Otomí-Chichimecas people of Tolimán: the Peña de Bernal, guardian of a sacred territory | 2009 | * social practices, rituals and festive events * knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe * know-how related to traditional craftsmanship * oral traditions and expressions | The Otomí-Chichimeca people, established in the semi-desert area of the state of Queretaro, in the center of Mexico, has developed a set of traditions that testify to the exceptional link that this people has with the local topography and ecology. Its cultural environment is dominated by a symbolic triangle, formed by the hills of Zamorano and Frontón as well as the rock of Bernal. It is on sacred mountains that the people make pilgrimage every year carrying miraculous crosses, praying for water and divine protection, venerating ancestors, celebrating their identity and continuity as a community. Other community festivities throughout the year punctuate a calendar of water-centered rites, extremely rare in this climate, which celebrate the endurance of the Otomí-Chichimeca people. The rites often take place in the privacy of family chapels dedicated to ancestors or in chemicals, temporary but imposing structures, made of reed with leaf roofs, built as an offering, a symbol of endurance, vitality and belonging. The connection between spiritual culture and physical space influences the art of the region - including religious images, murals, dance and music - and the traditions that embody it are central elements of the cultural identity of the community. |  |
| Traditional Mexican cuisine - communal, living and ancestral culture, the Michoacán paradigm | 2010 | * social practices, rituals and festive events * knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe * oral traditions and expressions | Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model that brings together agricultural practices, rituals, long-standing talents, culinary techniques, and ancestral communal customs and manners. This is made possible through collective participation in the entire traditional food chain: from planting and harvesting to cooking and tasting. The basis of the system is based on corn, beans and chili peppers; unique farming methods like milpa (corn field and other crops by slash-and-burn rotation) and the chinampa (artificial cultivation island in a lake area); cooking processes, such as nixtamalization (husking corn with lime water which increases its nutritional value); and special utensils such as grindstone and stone mortar. Indigenous ingredients, including varieties of tomatoes, squash, avocado, cocoa and vanilla, are added to staple foods. Mexican cuisine is elaborate and loaded with symbols, with the tortillas and the tamales daily, both corn-based, which are an integral part of the Day of the Dead offerings. Collectives of cooks and other practitioners dedicated to the development of cultures and traditional cuisine are being formed in the state of Michoacán and throughout Mexico. Their knowledge and techniques are the expression of community identity, strengthen social ties and consolidate national, regional and local identities. These efforts in Michoacán also underscore the importance of traditional cuisine as a means of sustainable development. |  |
| 2 Parachicos in the traditional January festival in Chiapa de Corzo | 2010 | * Performing Arts * knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe * social practices, rituals and festive events * know-how related to traditional craftsmanship * oral traditions and expressions | The Great Traditional Festival takes place every year from 4 to To Chiapa de Corzo, to Mexico. This feast, which combines music, dance, crafts, gastronomy, religious ceremonies and festivities, is organized in honor of three Catholic saints: Saint Antoine Abbot, Our Lord of Esquipulas and, most importantly, Saint Sebastian. The dances of the Parachicos - the term refers to both the dancers and the dance - are considered a collective offering to these saints. They begin in the morning and end at night: the dancers parade throughout the city carrying statues of saints and stop at various places of worship. Each dancer wears a carved wooden mask surmounted by a headdress, a blanket, an embroidered shawl and multicolored ribbons; he plays chinchines (maracas). The dancers are guided by the Patron, who wears a stern-looking mask, guitar, and whip, while playing the flute accompanied by one or two drummers. During the dance, he sings prayers of praise to which the Parachicos respond with cheers. The dance is transmitted and learned on the job, with young children trying to emulate adult dancers. The technique of making masks is passed down from generation to generation, from cutting wood and drying it to carving and final decoration. The dance of the Parachicos during the Great Festival embraces all spheres of local life, promoting mutual respect between communities, groups and individuals. |  |
| 3 The Pirekua, traditional song of the P’urhépecha | 2010 | Performing Arts * social practices, rituals and festive events * oral traditions and expressions | Pirekua is a traditional music of the indigenous P’urhépecha communities of the state of Michoacan to Mexico, which both men and women sing. Its mix of diverse styles has African, European and Native American origins, with regional variations identified in 30 out of 165 P'urhépecha communities. A Pirekua, which is usually sung with a slow rhythm, can also be performed in a non- style. vocal using different rhythms such as sones (3/8) and abajeños (6/8). Pirekua can be sung in solo, duo or trio, or be accompanied by vocal groups, string orchestras and mixed (with wind instruments). The pirériechas (Pirekua singers and performers) are renowned for their creativity and interpretations of older songs. The lyrics cover a wide range of themes ranging from historical events to religion, social and political thought, love and courtship with women, making extensive use of symbols. Pirekua serves as a means of effective dialogue between the families and P’urhépecha communities who practice it, helping to establish and strengthen ties. The pirériechas also serve as social mediators, using songs to express feelings and communicate important events to P’urhépecha communities. Pirekua is traditionally passed down orally, from generation to generation, retaining its character as a living expression, a marker of identity and a means of artistic communication for more than one hundred thousand P’urhépecha. |  |
| The Mariachi, string music, vocals and trumpet | 2011 | * Performing Arts * social practices, rituals and festive events * oral traditions and expressions | Mariachi is both traditional Mexican music and a fundamental part of Mexican culture. Traditional Mariachi groups, composed of two or more musicians, wear regional costumes inspired by the charro costume and perform a wide repertoire of songs on stringed instruments. Ensembles that play "modern" Mariachi music include trumpets, violins, vihuela, and guitarrón (bass guitar), and can be composed of four musicians or more. The vast repertoire includes songs from different regions, jarabs, minuets, polkas, valonas, scottishes, waltzes and serenades, in addition to corridos (typical Mexican ballads recounting stories of battles, deeds and love) and traditional songs describing rural life. Modern Mariachi music has adopted other genres such as ranchera chants, ranchero bolero and even ranchera. cumbia Columbia. The lyrics of the Mariachi songs speak of the love of the land, the hometown, the homeland, the religion, the nature, the countrymen and the strength of the country. Learning by ear is the primary means of transmitting traditional Mariachi music, and the skill is generally passed down from father to son as well as in festive, religious and civic events. Mariachi music conveys values of respect for the natural heritage of the regions of Mexico and for local history; the language used is Spanish and the various Indian languages of western Mexico. |  |
| La Charrería, equestrian tradition in Mexico | 2016 | * social practices, rituals and festive events * Performing Arts * know-how related to traditional craftsmanship | Charrería is a traditional practice of cattle ranching communities in Mexico. It originally allowed herders from different states to coexist better. The techniques were passed on to younger generations within families. Nowadays, associations of Charrería and schools help to transmit the tradition also considered as a sport, by training the members of the community, including at a competitive level. Performing several events in public (charreadas) allows spectators to observe the skills displayed by cattle ranchers, for example, in training and catching wild mares and bulls. Dressed in a traditional costume including a wide-brimmed hat for the men and a colorful shawl for the women, the trained breeders show off their skills on foot or on horseback. Integrated into traditional practice, the costume and equipment, saddles and spurs, are designed and produced by local artisans. The Charrería is an important aspect of the identity and cultural heritage of bearer communities. Practitioners see tradition as a means of transmitting important social values such as respect and equality among members of the community to younger generations. |  |
| 4 La romería, ritual cycle of pilgrimage of the Virgin of Zapopan carried in procession | 2018 | * Performing Arts * social practices, rituals and festive events * know-how related to traditional craftsmanship * oral traditions and expressions | The annual feast of the romería, celebrated on in honor of the image of the Virgin of Zapopan, is a tradition that dates back to 1734. The day marks the end of the annual ritual cycle known as the "procession of the Virgin" which begins in May and includes many community and liturgical activities. The cycle ends with the return of the Virgin in the basilica in Zapopan. Over two million people take part, and one of the main features of the holiday is the massive presence and participation of different groups of indigenous dancers. The procession (the Llevada) and the activities related to this ritual attract a large audience and transform the streets and public spaces into places of celebration for the communities with popular artistic expressions resulting from collective work. Throughout the year, the planning of activities is based on the interaction between different communities, which allows them to renew and strengthen social bonds. Thanks to the community’s continued support for the practice, romería is considered one of the most popular and deeply rooted traditions in western Mexico. Through well-organized civil society and church groups, the community of bearers and practitioners ensures the survival of this cultural manifestation. |  |
Manufacturing process of artisan talavera from Puebla and Tlaxcala and ceramics from Talavera de la Reina and El Puente del Arzobispo
Note Mexico shares this practice withSpain. | 2019 | Two communities in Mexico and two others in Spain manufacture artisan talavera from Puebla and Tlaxcala (Mexico) and ceramics from Talavera de la Reina and El Puente del Arzobispo (Spain). Ceramics are used for domestic, decorative and architectural purposes. Despite the changes and evolutions that ceramics have faced in both countries (related to the use of electric potters' wheels today), artisanal manufacturing processes, including manufacturing, glazing and decoration, remain the same as in the 16th century. Knowledge and skills relating to this element include the preparation of clay, the manufacture of earthenware using a potter's wheel or mold, decoration, preparation of enamels and pigments and the management of the furnace, which requires a great deal of expertise. Some ceramists handle the whole process, while others specialize in specific tasks. Knowledge related to the element (including extraction of raw materials, processing of materials, decoration and firing techniques) is mainly held by master eartheners and ceramists who have developed their skills over time and have been transmitted orally to the younger generations, in their workshops or within the family. Each workshop has its own identity, which is reflected in the detail of the shapes, decorations, colors and enamels of the pieces. The production of ceramics remains a key identity symbol in both countries. |  |
Register of Best Safeguarding Practices
| Convenient | Year | Domain | Description | Drawing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Xtaxkgakget Makgkaxtlawana: the Center for Indigenous Arts and its contribution to safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of the Totonac people of Veracruz, Mexico | 2012 | * oral traditions and expressions * Performing Arts * social practices, rituals and festive events * know-how related to traditional craftsmanship | the aboriginal arts center was conceived in response to a long-term desire of the Totonac people to create an educational institution to transmit their teachings, art, values and culture, while also providing indigenous creators with favorable conditions for the development of their art. The structure of the center represents a traditional establishment composed of house-schools, each 'House' being specialized in one of the Totonac arts to be followed for the apprentices, such as pottery, textiles, painting, the art of healing, traditional dance, music, theater and cooking. At the Maison des Anciens ’, students acquire the essential values of the Totonacs and an orientation on the meaning of creative practice. The transmission of knowledge is integral and holistic. House Schools view creative practice as something intrinsically linked to spiritual nature. The center offers cultural regeneration by revitalizing Totonac cultural practices through means such as the use of the Totonac language as a vehicle for education, the recovery of forgotten traditional techniques, artistic production, the reestablishment of traditional government bodies and the reforestation of plants and trees necessary for cultural practices. The center also promotes permanent cooperation with creators and cultural agencies from other states in the country and around the world. |  |
Emergency backup list
Mexico does not have a practice on the Emergency Safeguarding List.
