Take an evening stroll to Los Montesinos village on a balmy summer evening and the chances are you will see an aged Spanish tradition of locals sitting on chairs outside their casas.
A village in Andalusia has applied for the traditional Spanish ritual of neighbours sitting and talking outside to be awarded Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
As in Andalusia, Los Montesinos and towns within the Vega Baja hamlet, groups of mainly elderly villagers take a chair and sit together outdoors when they can.
The culture of the Spaniards scene brings back memories of their childhoods, especially so in the summer months.
A traditional event for the 1,400 people who live in the village of Algar near Cádiz, mirrored by many residents of Los Montesinos, which has under 5,000 inhabitants and towns within the Vega Baja.
Concerns have arisen the tradition could flicker out like a burning candle by today’s younger generation in future years.
Algar’s village council has called for Spain’s al fresco summer chair evenings to be granted the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.
Unesco cultural heritage includes traditions or living expressions inherited from ancestors, passed on to descendants.
“I saw that the tradition was getting lost,” said Algar mayor José Carlos Sánchez.
“The elderly maintained the tradition – but a large part of our population didn’t.
“I got the initiative from ‘Al fresco with Unesco’. We got in touch with the Andalusian regional government to make sure no other municipality stole our idea.
“We’ve sent in the application for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage status,” added Mayor Sanchez.
