The Committee
- Takes note that Georgia has nominated Georgian wheat culture: traditions and rituals (No. 02335) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
Georgian wheat culture involves a set of practices and rituals based on the cultivation and use of local varieties of endemic wheat. It also encompasses the use of related objects, such as traditional labour tools, stone mills and hand-made bread ovens. For the practising communities, endemic wheat is a symbol of life, growth and abundance. Families and communities follow specific customs for planting and harvesting, reserving the wheat for special occasions such as ritual meals and religious holidays. Key moments include the first ploughing during the spring or fall equinox and a community feast at harvest time, when people come together to celebrate with food, music and shared rituals.
- Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
R.1: Wheat culture is a unifying factor that promotes cooperation, hospitality and respect. The tradition of baking and sharing ritual bread is ingrained in the cultural fabric of the community and remains a symbol of prosperity and fertility. Men usually manage the fieldwork while women care for the wheat stock and bake breads for ceremonies. The related knowledge and skills are passed on through hands-on participation during family and community events such as births, weddings and funerals. Educational and research organizations also help preserve local wheat varieties and share knowledge.
R.3: The submitting State Party has demonstrated the role of associations, community groups and NGOs in safeguarding and promoting the element, providing examples of these efforts. Key safeguarding activities include: annual bread festivals and market events; transmission during ecclesiastical and farming communities; educational and community workshops; scientific and genetic conservation efforts related to endemic wheat; and school programmes, masterclasses and informal learning. The safeguarding measures described ensure the transmission of the element, the conservation of the heritage associated with endemic wheat, the promotion of biodiversity and traditional baking, and the dissemination of wheat culture.
R.4: The submitting State Party has demonstrated the community’s participation in the nomination process throughout all its stages, since the initiation of the nomination process by the Association of Georgian Wheat. During the nomination process, farmers, communities and other interested associations, researchers and stakeholders were involved through working groups, conferences and an inventory process. Hundreds of letters of support were collected from communities, individuals and organizations.
R.5: The element was registered in the State Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia in 2023. This inventory is maintained by the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia and is regularly updated as part of the national inventorying system. The staff from the Agency, in close cooperation with the bearers, periodically collect information about the current state of the element, in order to update the inventory.
- Further considers that, from the information included in the file and the information provided by the submitting State Party through the dialogue process, the nomination satisfies the following criterion for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
R.2: The submitting State Party has demonstrated how the inscription of the element would continue to ensure the visibility of intangible cultural heritage in general, as a combined element, and to raising awareness about it. This section states that the inclusion of the element in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity would enhance interest in a multifaceted cultural phenomenon rooted in local wheat-related traditions and customs. The file indicates that the element contributes to ensuring food security, gender equality, inclusive economic development, environmental sustainability, including climate change, and peace and social cohesion.
- Decides to inscribe Georgian wheat culture: traditions and rituals on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
- Commends the State Party for the submission of an improved file following the decision of the Committee to refer the file in 2020.