Spanish village launches Unesco bid for nightly chats

Algar, Spain, Aug 13 (EFE).- In the southern Spanish village of Algar, population 1,400, a bid to secure Unesco status for its chatty residents is the talk of the town.

Each night when the heat of the day wanes, residents of Algar, near Cadiz in Andalusia, assemble chairs outside their front doors and catch-up with their neighbors, a long-established tradition that is coming under threat in an era when many of us spend the evening glued to our phones or to the TV.

The tradition is known locally as “charlas al fresco” — “outdoor chats,” and the village hall wants it recognized by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage.

To raise awareness, the local mayor took to social media to encourage residents, young and old, to keep the practice going.

“Our goal is to make sure social media does not end such a popular tradition as the outdoor chats,” mayor José Carlos Sánchez Barea tells Efe.

“And that is what we’re trying to do, for families to return to the streets, for adults, kids, and older people to get together.”

The public response was resounding.

“(In the past) we were always outdoors but it has been a while now that no-one has done it, which is why I love the initiative,” Josefina, an Algar local, says.

Although not unique to Algar, this village is the first that has launched a bid for Unesco cultural status for its aftersun chats. EFE

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