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Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

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The Dance of the Feather Is a Flight Between Tradition and Modernity

The dance tradition has survived five centuries of cultural changes and fused Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past with its present

Two people ride on horseback along a dirt road lined by yellowing tall grass. In front of them are a dog and dozens of cattle.

The Community of Families in Western Craft Traditions of Idaho

The Idaho gearmaking community, though geographically dispersed, is tightly knit through multigenerational family ties, mentorships, and shared cultural traditions rooted in ranching and craftsmanship. At the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, multiply families will share the skills and stories behind their work.

A pop-up museum display, featuring a tower of several “bricks” stacked like Jenga pieces. Each brick has writing on it: Fomo, body image, masculine marketing, pick-me girls, female sexuality, gender roles, a mother’s influence.

'Hey, You Kids, Get on Our Lawn!' Your Invitation to a Totally Teen Summer

During the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Museum of Contemporary American Teenager is teaming up with American University to bring the definitive celebration, exploration, and exposition of American teens!

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Smithsonian Folklife Festival Presents Youth and the Future of Culture, July 2–7

Admission is free, and hours are from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day, with special evening concerts beginning at 5:30 p.m.

In a crystal dish, beside a plate of pancakes, butter formed in the shape of a lamb with a red ribbon around its neck, red flag sticking out from its back, and a black peppercorn for an eye.

Behold the Butter Lamb of God: A Polish Catholic Easter Tradition Beloved in Buffalo, New York

A butter lamb has taken center stage on my family’s Easter table for as long as I can remember.

Two people in grass skirts stand on the shore, facing the ocean under an overcast sky.

Shared Experiences Through the Ongoing Virtual Mother Tongue Film Festival

Learn more about the films in the ongoing virtual festival

A five by two grid showing ten images from ten movies that will be showcased at the festival. In the top left corner, the Mother Tongue Film Festival logo boasts red and cream colors.

Don’t Miss the First Hybrid Mother Tongue Film Festival

Celebrate ten years of the festival with ten days of free programming

alt="An elder woman with dark skin and short white hair holds up a framed twelve-inch gold record, smiling. Behind her is a seated crowd under a festival tent."

A Century of Ella Jenkins: Tributes to the First Lady of Children’s Music

To celebrate Ella Jenkins on her hundredth birthday in August, we asked a group of musicians how Ella has inspired them.

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'Dressing Like a Human' to Honor Uzbekistani Art and Identity

Uzbekistani artisan and businesswoman Lola Sayfi is hopeful for the future of artisans

A young girl pulls strands on an oversized, multicolor basket.

The 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Guide for Kids and Families

Dive into sports, crafts, and more!

Two children and an adult sit on three swings in a dry landscape with trees in the background.

Filmmaker Billy Luther Explains How Frybread Face and Me Was a Labor of Love

Luther’s narrative feature debut opened the 2024 Mother Tongue Film Festival at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Five adults dressed in white dresses, robes, and veils pose along a forest path. One carries a lit lantern, and another carries a white flag.

This Elven Choir in Sweden Sings Tolkien’s Middle-earth to Life

Happy Tolkien Reading Day! On this day, we're celebrating the Eldandili Fantasy Choir.

In the foreground, a lineup of mannequins each with colorful embroidered garments. At the end of the line, out of focus, a woman dresses a mannequin.

A Global Tapestry of Craft: Championing Women Artisans of Central Asia in a New Lookbook

On Friday, March 8, marking International Women’s Day, we shared the result of a year-long collaboration.

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How I Visit with Houma Relatives in the Smithsonian’s Archival Collections

When I visit the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives, I always try to view the same item: NAA.PhotoLot.76, Houma collection.

From behind, a person walks through a street filled with gray rubble, toward run-down buildings with graffiti in Turkish on the walls.

How Living Heritage Heals the Invisible Fractures of the Soul in Eastern Türkiye

On February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake fractured the lives of over 13.5 million people across ten eastern provinces in my home country.

A person in a costume of black tank top, short yellow wig with furry white ears, and yellow leather bracelets, poses through a black wrought-iron railing.

When Escaping Reality Helps Define Identity: Expression and Empowerment in the Cosplay Community

It is probable that Western fans learned the term “cosplay” from their fellow fans in Japan, and the word has now evolved into a more general term for dressing up as characters.

A man in white dress sits with a thoughtful expression on his face outdoors, green and red foliage out of focus behind him. Old color film photo.

A Man of Peace: Grand Master Kim’s Vision for Chicago and the World

Grand Master Kim believed that peace begins when individual people express the harmonious energy of peace in their daily lives.

Two women decorate a large array of cookies laid out on a table.

Celebrate National Cookie Day With This Scottish Treat

In our family, Christmas would not be complete without our cookie-baking and decorating tradition

One of many cat statues at the American Museum of the House Cat in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Adopting Cat Culture in North Carolina’s Dog Country

The American Museum of the House Cat has given county residents and travelers a new reason to visit the small Appalachian town of Cullowhee, North Carolina

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