Belize’s Krismos Bram and Sambai tradition from Gales Point “Manatee” Village has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, following a decision taken on December 9th at the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee in New Delhi, India. The recognition marks Belize’s second entry on the list, following its previous entry for Garifuna Language, Music, and Dance. According to a press release from the National Institute of Culture and History, the successful nomination was led by a national delegation comprising government officials, cultural institutions, and community leaders from Gales Point.
Krismos Bram in Belize is a Christmas-time Kriol celebration held mainly in Gales Point on December 25th and 26th, featuring Brokdong music, drumming, dancing, and house-to-house visits that bring the entire peninsula together. The festivities usually begin with the sound of the Gombay or Sambai drum summoning villagers, then move from home to home with call-and-response folk songs, food, and drink, culminating in the more intimate Sambai circle dance, rooted in African courtship and harvest traditions. UNESCO evaluated the practice as a living expression of Afro-Creole identity, transmitted through participatory performance rather than formal instruction.
The inscription follows several years of documentation and community-based work led by the Institute for Social and Cultural Research of NICH, the National Kriol Council, and tradition bearers in Gales Point. Krismos Bram and Sambai were first nominated as Belize’s second candidate for the Representative List in 2025, with village elders, musicians, and dancers collaborating on videos, inventories, and safeguarding plans that highlighted how the custom survived through the area’s isolation and strong sense of cultural identity. The nomination emphasized that residents, including those who have migrated, regularly return home each Christmas to “bram” through the village, reinforcing family ties and intergenerational transmission.
Belize’s delegation to UNESCO included Arreni Palacio Morgan, UNESCO Secretary General for the National Commission of Belize, Rolando Cocom, Director of ISCR NICH, April Martinez, Living Heritage Officer at ISCR NICH, Selene Solis of the National Kriol Council, Emith Young, master drummer from Gales Point Village, and Sharlene Andrewin, master dancer from Gales Point Village. In the official release, Director Rolando Cocom stated, “We are confident that the people of Gales Point and the many practitioners, knowledge bearers, and advocates involved will see this as a meaningful path forward, one that strengthens their efforts to safeguard their values, knowledge, and skills.” The release also noted that the nomination was only possible through the direct community involvement of Gales Point and national stewardship by NICH and partner ministries.
Residents of Gales Point will showcase the tradition at the upcoming Brokdong Bram scheduled for December 14th at Battlefield Park in Belize City, with further celebrations planned in the village on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. NICH has invited the public “to witness and enjoy” Krismos Bram and Sambai, positioning the inscription as a point of national pride and a catalyst for cultural tourism and educational programming.
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