Since 2008 UNESCO has been compiling a list of humanity’s “intangible cultural heritage.”
The list is divided into two types: List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding and Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO is even devising the “best safeguarding practices” to save the endangered items.
UNESCO includes such amazing things as: the use of the abacus (Chinese), Kimjang/Gimjang–the making and sharing of kimchee (Korean), Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean), making of the toquilla straw hat (Ecuadorian), oil wresting tournament (Turkey), and so many more. It’s a wonderful claim that all of these incredible, culturally specific things are humanity‘s heritage. I would love to be the 1/7-billionth inheritor of such immaterial wealth.
Ecuadorian Panama hat (source: Wikipedia)
kimchee (source: Wikipedia, of course)
The United States and Canada are absent from the list (too young?), not even represented by any Native American foods, songs, sports, nor stories. However, Mexico is well represented, so we can still have North American pride.