CHILEAN CULTURE: TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, GASTRONOMY, MUSIC, RELIGION - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The culture of Chile is a multi-ethnic combination that includes the presence of Europeans, as a consequence of the Spanish Conquest, and indigenous natives of the region, who over time merged their customs and traditions to make this South American country a unique and unique place. full of opportunities.

At present, Chile is one of the most prosperous and stable nations in South America and its culture is constantly changing as it is one of the preferred countries in Latin America as a destination for emigration.

La tirana, typical dance of Chile. Image by bluaz58 from Pixabay

It also has the lowest level of corruption in the region, which speaks highly of the people who inhabit this country and their interest in doing things correctly in an environment of progress. Let's get to know a little more about its culture and political-territorial structure below.

Conformation of Chile

Chile is located in the southwestern part of South America and is divided into 16 regions, which are divided into provinces and these, in turn, into communes.

The country has a democratic system of government, whose president is elected every four years by direct popular vote, including a second electoral round if the candidates do not obtain an absolute majority.

Name's origin

Before the discovery of America, the territory was already called "Chili" by the aborigines of the area. However, so far historians do not agree with a theory that clarifies the specific origin of the word.

Some claim that the name comes from the sound emitted by the Trile bird (Xanthornus Cayenensis) whose chirping supposedly sounds similar to “chili”.

Another version suggests that it is a word from the Quechua indigenous language that means cold or snow; or also from the Quechua "chiri" which means "border", since in that way the indigenous Incas called the extreme south of their empire.

There is also the version that the word comes from the Aymara indigenous language, which has two meanings: "the edge of the world" or "the furthest or deepest place on earth."

Regardless of its origin, the Spaniards did not change the name of the conquered territory, calling it: Chili, then Valle de Chile, Nueva Extremadura, Reino de Chile and Captaincy General of Chile, a version that finally spread throughout the territory.

It was on July 30, 1824, when the name of the Republic of Chile was finally officially decreed.

Custom

Chileans are people who attach great importance to the family, so it is common for them to hold meetings with those closest to them and frequently visit their parents if they have already become independent from the home.

The locals are used to it shaking frequently, this is because the country is located in a convergence of tectonic plates, which are constantly active. It is common for tourists to be alarmed by the movements of the earth and perhaps they are amazed by the tranquility of the Chileans before this particular.

If you visit Chile, you will have to familiarize yourself with the term "take eleven" which is nothing more than a meal consumed in the middle of the afternoon, consisting of tea or coffee, accompanied by desserts or any variety of bread, the favorite is marraqueta.

And it is that bread is another important point for Chileans, who occupy only second place among the countries in which this food is most consumed; an estimated 96 kilos per year per person, second only to Turkey.

The geographic isolation that Chile passed through for a long time (surrounded by desert in the north, the Andes Mountains in the east, cold Patagonia in the south and the Pacific Ocean in the west) made this country a favorable place for the creation of terms own linguistic skills, which can make your Spanish incomprehensible.

For this reason, in Chile «fed up» means «a lot», «hit» is «work», «walking duck» is not having money, «bagging» is «asking» and «taco» is being stuck in traffic. just mention some particular words of the place.

Traditions

Indigenous New Year

Every June 24, the Chilean indigenous community performs a cycle closing and welcomes a stage. This ceremony, held at the beginning of the winter solstice, is conducive to celebrating the Indigenous Peoples' Day throughout the country.

Ethnic groups such as the Mapuche, Aymara, Atacameña, Colla, Quechua, Rapa-nui, Kawashkar, among others, honor their origins with spiritual renewal and purification ceremonies in locations such as Cerro Santa Lucía de Santiago or in rural areas of the South. From Chile.

Harvest Festival

Chilean wine is one of the prides of this country. For this reason, the winegrowers of the regions where this drink is produced, celebrate with great joy the results of their harvest, inviting citizens to be part of their party.

Between the months of March and April, regions such as Chillán, Codpa, Caricó, Maipo Island or Casablanca Valley, carry out activities that include folkloric acts, live music, wine tasting, the traditional stamping of grapes, typical gastronomy and, in some cases, even the election of a vintage queen.

And do not think that this only happens in rural areas, since the capital of Chile, Santiago, also takes a step forward with its Vendimia Fest, which offers a more urban touch to the celebration of the grape.

Harvest Festival. Source: Lidia Ester Wikimedia Commons

Winter carnival

While in other countries the month of July represents the heat of summer, in the southern hemisphere it is winter, a time when the city of Punta Arenas is used to celebrating its carnival, and although for some it may seem strange to see a parade of comparsas to 0 ° C, it is a colorful and unforgettable experience.

Definitely the cold does not stop thousands of people who for two days are on Borias avenue of the city to witness the parade of floats, traditional presentations in homage to Chilean culture, small plays and a fireworks show with the that close this beautiful winter holiday.

Chilean National Holidays

During the month of September, Chileans celebrate their National Holidays for two days, with which they commemorate the country's independence from the Spanish Empire.

To an outside observer, it might seem strange that the activity is not held on Independence Day (February 12), but on the date on which the First Governing Board was created, an event that occurred on September 18, 1810 and that originally began the country's emancipation process.

Chileans finally signed their Act of Independence in 1818, but it would be that first step as a nation to celebrate their autonomy. The official schedule of activities establishes the commemoration of national independence on the 18th and the celebration of all the glories of the Army on September 19.

Citizens take advantage of those two days to get together as a family and attend folkloric activities or events organized by the government, whose authorities attend an official mass, organize a gala opera, as well as military parades.

Viña del Mar Festival

This is the celebration of the most important music in Latin America, which brings together national and international artists who gather at the Quinta Vergara amphitheater, located in the Valparaíso Region.

The Viña del Mar International Song Festival has been held since 1960 and, although it was originally aimed at exposing Chilean popular music, it continued to grow until it had artists of international fame.

For six nights, the place receives every day a series of different artists who measure their talent before a very critical and difficult to please public, to the point of receiving the nickname of the "Monster of Quinta Vergara."

Gastronomy

The gastronomy of Chile is characterized by the mixture of recipes from Spain and the indigenous traditions of the region. Here are some of the most popular typical dishes.

Casserole of beef

This is a vegetable soup with added chicken, lamb, or beef, topped with corn and coriander servings.

Pine pies

Chilean empanadas are characterized by being roasted and not fried, so they resemble a tender and individual meatloaf.

Pine empanadas offer this sensation, as they are filled with meat, as well as eggs, olives and raisins. They can be tasted throughout the national territory and are a true delight.

Pine pie. From JB from Champaign, IL, USA - 1/2 kg empanada, CC BY 2.0,

Corn cake

It is a corn dough (choclo) on a meat stew. They usually put sugar on top to achieve a unique fusion of flavors.

sopaipillas

These are fried doughs made with wheat flour and butter that can be eaten alone or as a side.

Source: Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons

Curanto in hole

We save for the end one of the most complex dishes in Chile due to the way it is cooked. An entire indigenous heritage, since it is prepared as the aborigines themselves did.

A hole is dug in the earth and stones are inserted that are heated red hot. On this improvised oven the preparation made with seafood, potatoes, beef, chicken and seaweed is placed. This is covered with nalca leaves and a layer of soil is placed on it and allowed to cook. A delight.

Religion

As with the other countries conquered by Spain, Chile also has a deep Catholic tradition.

In the Constitution of 1833, Catholicism appears as the official religion of the country and it was forbidden to profess another creed. However, in 1865 a group of parliamentarians promoted the draft Law on Freedom of Worship, whose approval allowed the private practice of other religions.

The Catholic Church and the Chilean State have been separated since 1970, but the influence of this religion in the life of the Chilean is undoubted.

But not everything is set in stone. A survey by the Center for Public Studies of Chile in 2008 showed a decrease in people who considered themselves Catholic. From 73% in 1998, it went to 55% in 2018.

There was not such a marked variation in the data issued by the believers of the Protestant Church, second in popularity after the Catholic, whose followers just fell from 17% in 2008 to 16% in 2018.

As a curiosity, 61% consider believing in the "evil eye", against 56% who claim to believe in the Virgin Mary or 45% who support the existence of reincarnation.

The belief in a God, regardless of the religion that is professed, marked a resounding 80% as opposed to 9% of people who claimed to be atheists.

Music

The music of Chile is a combination of a mixture of European and indigenous genres, which have produced beautiful folk dances with typical colorful costumes. We prepare a small list of the most important ones.

The cueca

This dance is considered the national dance and is present throughout the Chilean territory, especially during national holidays and folk festivals, with variations from one region to another.

The cueca has been danced since approximately 1824 and is executed to a 3 × 8 rhythm with a two-part song accompanied by harp, piano, accordion, tambourine and guitar. During the dance, the man invites the woman to dance, the couple take an initial walk on the dance floor, face each other and begin the dance.

The Chilean government decided to declare the cueca as the national dance in 1979, noting that within the varied range of Chilean folk dances, it was the one with the greatest diffusion and historical significance.

Chilote waltz

This is a variant of the Austrian waltz that came to the country in the 19th century. The difference with the original dance lies in the greater intensity in the jumps executed by the dancers and in the way they take the partner.

Little carnival

It is a dance from the north of Chile, linked to Bolivia and Argentina. This is characterized by using wind instruments and percussion, with dancers who stomp and make small jumps while moving in circles.

Other rhythms

It is also important to mention among the traditional dances, the corrido, the cachimbo, the trot, the trastrasera, in addition to the Sajurian originating from Argentina and the refalosa from Peru.

Among the non-folkloric rhythms followed by Chileans, there is reggaeton, hip hop, jazz, rock, ballads, boleros or the Chilean cumbia, which is faster than the traditional Colombian version.

Its most famous island

Among the thousands of islands that Chile has, there is a very special one located in the Pacific Ocean, 3,800 kilometers from the Chilean coast. It is famous for the more than eight hundred giant heads (moai) built by the natives of the place between the 13th and 16th centuries.

Easter Island. Image by Till Schwalm from Pixabay

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui (by its indigenous name) has an area of ​​163.6 km ² and has been part of the political territorial division of Chile since 1888, when Captain Policarpio Toro Hurtado landed on its coasts and claimed the territory in the name of the South American country.

On January 16, 1935, the Rapa Nui National Park was created and in 1995 it received the distinction of World Heritage Site, awarded by UNESCO.

Chile in detail

- The largest earthquake in history occurred in 1960 in Valdivia, Chile. With a 9.5 on the Richter scale, this earthquake caused thousands of deaths, also producing the eruption of the Puyehue volcano and a tsunami that reached Hawaii and Japan.

- According to figures from the Chilean Ministry of Goods, the country has a total of 43,471 islands, which together cover an area of ​​8,278,411 hectares.

- The oldest mummies in the world were discovered in the Atacama desert, these are the so-called "chinchorros" mummies that date back seven thousand years.

- To the north of the country there are astronomical observatories that distinguish the country as one of the most important centers of scientific development in the world.

- The 33 miners trapped in the Atacama region in 2010, broke the Guinness Record of the group of people who remained the longest underground and at the greatest depth. They were 69 days at more than 600 meters deep.

- The importance of preserving indigenous culture is so important that the government will incorporate in 2020 the subject "Language and Culture of Native Peoples" in primary schools.

References

1. What is the name of each country in Latin America? (2016). Taken from bbmundo.com
2. Eight theories of why Chile is called Chile. (2016). Taken from soychile.cl.
3. CEP survey on spirituality and religion. (2018). Taken from cnnchile.com
4. Music of Chile. (2019). Taken from thisischile.cl
5. Cueca. (2018). Taken from memoriachilena.gob.cl
6. What do you hear in Chile? (2017). Taken from redbull.com.
7. Why are there so many tremors in Chile? (2015). Taken from t13.cl