Eat, dance and drink. Slovakia's intangible heritage has expanded

Slovakia’s list of intangible cultural heritage has lengthened after a shepherd’s mug, črpák, and five other items were added in the first days of December.

“Slovakia is extremely rich in traditions,” said Culture Minister Natália Milanová, expressing hope that more extraordinary traditions and items would be added to the list in the future.

There are 32 heritage items on the list today, ranging from music and dances to events and ornaments. The latest additions include:

• Črpák – a wooden mug with a decorated handle used by shepherds.

• Lift dances from the Myjava-Trenčín region – old dances consisting of several elements, but lifting a female partner is the most important. The partner then lands on the man’s thigh or shoulder.

• Trdelník from Skalica – a popular pastry resembling a spit cake coated in walnuts or sugar, which has been made in Skalica for nearly two centuries. Its origin goes back to Romania though. In 2007, the Skalica pastry obtained the EU’s protected geographical indication.

• Jánošík tradition – despite the tradition being linked to the village of Terchová, it has grown into a nationwide tradition over the years, which is expressed in film, folklore, literature, theatre and the like.

• Goral culture – the rich culture of people living in the north of Slovakia is based on the shepherds’ tradition, and it includes dialects, music, dances, crafts and festivities unique to the Gorals.

• Karička from Parchovany – a women’s dance performed in a circle. Dancers themselves sing songs, whose tempo is gradually increasing.

In mid-December, the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will decide on whether falconry, as a living human heritage, will be added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

It was the United Arab Emirates that submitted the nomination, and Slovakia is one of more than 20 countries joining the effort.