Québec Solidaire unanimously passed a motion Thursday to have jigging designated as an intangible heritage of Quebec.
All parties in the Quebec legislature accepted the party's motion, which refers to the dance as a Quebec tradition that has endured over time.
The motion was introduced by the MNA for Mercier, Ruba Ghazal, the party's culture and communications critic.
According to a Quebec government backgrounder, the jig is of British, Scottish and Irish origin. It is said to have arrived in the province in the 19th century with waves of immigrants from these territories.
The dance first became popular with logging camp workers. The dancers were traditionally accompanied by fiddlers, accordionists or harmonica players.
Jigging is mostly done with the feet, and can be danced solo or in a group.
Among Quebec's best-known jiggers are the Grenier brothers, who appeared on numerous television shows to showcase their talents from the 1960s to 1980s.
