The Committee
- Takes note that Belize has nominated Christmas Bram and Sambai of Gales Point Manatee, Belize (No. 02298) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
The Christmas Bram and Sambai are annual cultural celebrations held on 25 and 26 December in the Gales Point Manatee Village, located on a peninsula inside Southern Lagoon on the central coast of Belize. Deeply rooted in African heritage, these festivities promote unity and a shared sense of identity within the practising community. The Bram begins with participants singing and dancing in a call-and-response style as they travel from house to house, accompanied by locally made instruments such as the ‘Gumbay’ and ‘Sambai’ drums. Hosts offer food and drinks to welcome the dancers. The Bram procession departs from the northern point of the peninsula on Christmas Day and finishes at the southern end, reversing direction on Boxing Day.
- 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: The Sambai dance, which was once associated with crop planting and courtship, takes place at night, with participants dancing around a bonfire. During the event, drummers and singers perform traditional and modern songs that address social issues. The festivities end with a circle dance that symbolizes peace and unity. Men lead the drumming and instrument making, while women transmit songs and dances and raise awareness about the tradition. The related knowledge and skills are transmitted primarily through observation. The celebrations strengthen community bonds and cultural identity. They also connect the past with the present and help mitigate risks associated with development and globalization.
R.2: The nomination clearly demonstrates that the inscription of the element would contribute to ensuring visibility and awareness of the significance of the intangible cultural heritage, and to encouraging dialogue in four areas associated with the sustainable development: peace and social cohesion, environmental sustainability, gender equality and quality education. Furthermore, by highlighting living African heritage in the Caribbean and Central America, its inscription could promote cultural dialogue at the regional and global levels, drawing attention to the importance and vitality of the Creole presence.
R.3: The community has been working with government institutions to safeguard the element through various measures, including documentation and inventorying activities, recruitment of practitioners, transmission of knowledge, and provision of space for awareness raising and practice. According to the nomination file, current safeguarding initiatives include a UNESCO-funded project to strengthen disaster risk reduction capacities in connection with the protection of intangible cultural heritage.
R.4: The community has worked continuously with government institutions for the initial inventorying of the element (2013–2017), the inventory update (2023–2024), and the preparation of the nomination file.
R.5: The element was listed in the Belize Living Heritage: Inventory of Cultural Celebrations in 2012 and updated in 2024. The list is managed by the Institute for Social and Cultural Research and is updated annually or biannually for most inventory items. The updating process is conducted by the staff from the Institute for Social and Cultural Studies, in collaboration with communities and practitioners.
- Decides to inscribe Christmas Bram and Sambai of Gales Point Manatee, Belize on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.