Cultural occasions and traditions to be protected in new UK heritage record | EUROtoday

From Hogmanay, to cheese rolling or London’s vibrant Notting Hill Carnival, Britain’s most treasured cultural occasions and traditions will quickly be formally recognised and guarded in a brand new heritage record.

The authorities will quickly open submissions from the general public to appoint their favorite customs that finest replicate the nation, to be recorded within the Inventory Of Living Heritage within the UK.

The UK-wide stock goals to maintain observe of the crafts, customs and celebrations which might be valued throughout the nation, together with traditions like tweed weaving and highland dancing.

Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross stated the UK is “rich with wonderful traditions”, together with Gloucestershire’s cheese rolling, people music and dancing and the heritage crafts reminiscent of tartan weaving and carving Welsh love spoons.

“I would encourage everyone to think about what traditions they value so that we can continue to celebrate them, tell our national story to the rest of the world and safeguard the traditions that make us who we are,” she stated.

One of the traditions that may very well be recognised is the annual cheese rolling race, an occasion the place opponents chase a wheel of cheese down a steep hill in Gloucestershire, that has been celebrated for hundreds of years and thought to have its roots in a heathen competition to rejoice the return of spring.

Other occasions might embrace Hogmanay, the Scottish phrase for the final day of the 12 months and is synonymous with celebration of the New Year, and London’s Notting Hill Carnival which is an annual Caribbean occasion that has been working for greater than 50 years and has turn into one of many largest avenue events on the earth.

The Government will work with the devolved governments to create the stock, contemplating submissions from communities throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who practise dwelling heritage and from those that practise traditions dropped at the UK by immigrant communities.

This comes after the UK signed the 2003 Unesco Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Culture Heritage, which requires member states to compile a list of dwelling heritage practised by communities in every nation.

Nominations will probably be thought of underneath seven classes, together with performing arts, crafts and social practices reminiscent of festivals and customs.

Sports and video games can even be a class together with oral expressions, together with poetry and storytelling, culinary practices, and nature, land and spirituality.