TRADITIONS 4
AND RITUALS
Folk dancers in traditional
costume at a local festival
in Trujillo, Peru
WARM UP
Discuss these questions
with a partner.
1. What are some
important traditions
in your culture?
2. What is your favorite
tradition? Why?
53
4A
BEFORE YOU READ
DISCUSSION A. Read the first paragraph of the passage and discuss
these questions with a partner.
1. Can you name any other places on the UNESCO
World Heritage sites list?
2. Why do you think many of these places and areas
need protection?
SKIMMING B. Skim the other paragraphs. What do you think the
Review this reading is mainly about? Circle a, b, or c. Then read
reading skill
in Unit 1A
the passage to check your answer.
a. the most famous UNESCO World Heritage sites
b. a UNESCO list for important cultural traditions
c. how UNESCO has changed since it first
began
54 Unit 4A
LIVING
TREASURES
A performance of The
A The Tower of Pisa. Machu Picchu. The Taj Mahal. You
Legend of the White Snake
probably know them as famous UNESCO1 World
by the China National
Heritage sites—structures and monuments of great
Peking Opera Company
cultural value. But what about the Mediterranean
diet? The Beijing opera? Or the art of pizza-making in
Naples? What do these have in common?
B Traditions like these are known as “intangible cultural
heritage.” In contrast to UNESCO World Heritage
sites, intangible heritage does not include buildings
like palaces and temples. Instead, it includes
traditional art forms, such as music, dance, and craft-
making—living traditions that are an important part of
a place’s culture.
C UNESCO began to identify cultural traditions in
2008. Among the first on their list were the Puppet
Theater of Sicily and Mexico’s Day of the Dead
festival. By 2017, UNESCO had approved more than
300 diverse practices. These include cultural events
like the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival; performing
arts including Spanish flamenco; martial arts such
as Brazilian capoeira and Korean Taekkyeon; and
handicrafts like Japanese washi paper-making.
D In 2010, UNESCO also began to include important
regional cuisines, starting with French and Mexican
food. Several other types of food and drink have since
been added, such as Korean kimchi and Croatian
gingerbread. Arabic coffee was included in 2015. The
sharing of coffee has been an important aspect of
Arab hospitality for centuries, according to UNESCO,
and is “a symbol of generosity.”
1 The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization helps nations work together in the fields of education,
culture, and science.
Unit 4A 55
Protecting Cultural Roots
E Cultural rituals are an important part of the UNESCO list. An example is the Tlemcen
wedding ritual in Algeria. The ritual begins in the bride’s parents’ home, where
friends and female relatives help the bride prepare for the ceremony. The bride is
first dressed in a golden silk dress. Symbolic henna2 designs are applied to her hands.
Before leaving the house for the ceremony, her face is wrapped in a golden silk veil.3
Later, during the wedding feast, the bride removes her veil, ready to be married. The
tradition has passed from one generation to the next, and marks the community’s
cultural identity.
F Some of the cultural items on the list are dying out and in need of protection. An
example is Al Sadu—traditional weaving in the United Arab Emirates. The tradition
was once widely practiced by communities of desert Bedouin women. However,
many Bedouin have now moved to cities, and so the practice has begun to disappear.
Today, Al Sadu is mostly practiced by older women whose numbers are declining.
G The main goal of UNESCO is to promote peace through respect for the world’s
Algerian
varied cultures and common humanity. It hopes that by bringing attention to cultural women
traditions such as Al Sadu, they will be more likely to survive. Cultural traditions are decorate a
important to fight for, says Cécile Duvelle of UNESCO. “The more globalized the bride’s hands
world becomes,” she says, “the more important it is not to lose these traditional roots.” with henna
during a
2 Henna is a type of dye often used for coloring hair and skin.
Tlemcen
3 A veil is a thin piece of material that covers the face.
wedding.
56 Unit 4A
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
COMPLETION A. Complete the information using the correct form of the words in the box.
One word is extra.
approve ceremony site symbol wedding wrap
The Wodaabe are nomadic African people who migrate
from place to place throughout the year. At the end
of September, the Wodaabe come together for an
important cultural 1 called the
geerewol. The ritual includes a unique beauty contest.
Young Wodaabe men paint their faces with makeup, and
2
their heads in colorful headwear.
Some put on beads and shells as 3
of their wealth. They then perform a dance for young
Wodaabe women. If a woman 4 of a A Wodaabe man dressed
male dancer, she may agree to marry him and a in makeup for the
geerewol festival
5
is prepared.
COMPLETION B. Complete the sentences using the words in the box. One word is extra.
crafts diverse identity promote site wrap
1. The Great Wall of China is a very famous World Heritage .
2. UNESCO’s intangible heritage list includes a(n) range of
traditional and other art forms.
3. The tradition of flamenco is an important part of Spain’s cultural .
4. UNESCO’s aim is to education, science, and culture worldwide.
WORD PARTS C. The prefix pro- can mean “forward” or “toward the front,” as in the verb
promote. Complete the definitions by circling the correct options.
1. If you proceed with something, you make a start on it / decide to change it.
2. If you get a promotion, you rise to a higher level / move to a different place.
3. If you make progress on something, you decide to do it / have success with it.
Unit 4A 59