Celebrating the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage on 17 October 2026

Every year on 17 October, the world pauses to celebrate something you can't put in a museum case: living heritage.

The International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was proclaimed by UNESCO's General Conference in November 2023: https://www.unesco.org/en/days/intangible-heritage.

It falls on the anniversary of the adoption of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The first edition took place in 2024, and this year's is the third.

Israel's cultural landscape is made up of many communities, each with its own songs, dances, crafts and stories. Many of these traditions live in elders' memories and in the hands of a few craftspeople and musicians. If they are not passed on, they can disappear within a generation.

At ICH Israel, we document, celebrate, and pass on this living heritage, from folk music and folk dance to traditional craftsmanship and the traditions of communities such as the Kurdish Jews.

How you can take part

• Talk to your parents and grandparents and ask them to teach you a song, a recipe, a dance or a story. Record it if you can.

• Explore our pages on folk music, folk dance and craftsmanship.

• Become a volunteer and help us safeguard these traditions.

• Share this post and tell us which tradition you want to see preserved.

Heritage lives only as long as people practice it. Happy International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage!