The Culture in Chile

"The Land Where the Earth Ends"

Chilean Culture facts

The culture name of Chile is Chilean
● It was colonized by Spain, so the culture that evolved was largely Spanish
● Influences from indigenous cultures is growing
● A mix of Spanish colonial elements with elements of indigenous culture
● The people have become mestizo - a blend of Spanish and Indian bloodlines
● Is considered one of the most Urbanized Latin American country
● Chile is considered to be one of the most homogeneous nations of Latin America in both ethnic and cultural terms

Government: Democratic
Population: 17,925,262
Official language: Spanish


Chilean Patriotism

● Chilean people have a strong sense of patriotism
● Chileans are very nationalistic and are proud of their country
● Those with other ancestry background often consider themselves Chilean first

Chilean Flag

● White represents the snow of the Andes Mountains
● Blue represents the sky and the Pacific Ocean
● The star symbolizes guidance and progress
● Red the blood spilled in the fight for independence

Values

Family
● One of the most important parts of Chilean life is familial values
● Children maintain close ties to their parents, even in adulthood
● It is not uncommon if elderly parents move in with one of their children
● Starting to prefer smaller families
● Traditionally Patriarchal society
● Conform to traditional gender roles
● The father is considered head of house hold
● Women are expected to do most of the cooking, cleaning, and raising the children
● Women make the decisions in the household, however, views on gender roles are becoming more modern
● Having enough time to spend with family and enjoy life is an important part of Chilean culture

Classists
● People like to socialize and meet up
● Coffee shops, clubs, pubs, etc
● Life expectancy rose from 57 years in the 1960’s to about 70 years in the early 1980’s and the number is increasing today
● A huge decline in infant mortality rate which is much lower now than its neighboring countries

Language
● Spanish or Castellano is spoken by nearly all Chileans
● The accent is mostly identical throughout the country
● "Cachai" is the most popular slang word in Chile. It means "do you understand" or "you know?"
● Some people from the northern part of Chile speak Aymara (native Indians)
Indistinguishable accent amongst all regions, but among Latin America it is a very distinct accent, and has a melody tone to it.
● Speak very fast, terminal constants are not pronounced and use a bunch of slang called “chilenismos”
«harto» significa «mucho» (a lot)
«pega» es «trabajo» (work)
«andar pato» es no tener dinero (to not have money)
«taco» es estar atascado en el tráfico (stuck in traffic)
● Very appreciative of formalities
● Greetings buenos días (good morning), buenas tardes (good afternoon)
● Women greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and men greet each other with a firm handshake

Work Culture

● Chileans value and enjoy work and bring high energy and enthusiasm to a job, however, Family takes precedence to work
● Its uncommon to work on weekends or OT
● Men are expected to work longer hours compared to women
● Getting a job is based on who you know rather than what you know
● The main industries are mining, construction, wine, and tourism
● High cost of living (expensive)
● Need to earn at least a million pesos to survive
● Property is expensive


Food and Dining Culture

● Chileans typically eat four meals a day
● Light meal in the morning (like toast and coffee)
● Lunch is the most important meal of the day (served between 1 and 3 pm)
● Tomar Onces is the small meal that is consumed between lunch and dinner
around (6-7pm). It’s like teatime accompanied by bread and jam or a sandwich
● Having a meal mid afternoon w/ tea/coffee, desserts such as bread (ex: marraqueta). Considered early dinner
● Dinner is served around 8 or 9 pm with wine
● Food is influenced by indigenous cultures as well as European and Latin American foods
Seafood
● There is an abundance of seafood because of the long coastal lines

Indigenous Groups
Mapuche Indians: a large cultural group who strongly contributed to the formation of chilean culture
Inhabit the central valley of Chile
Aymara
Atacameña
Colla
Quechua
Rapa-nui
Kawashkar

Holidays
● Indigenous New Year (Ano Nuevo Indigena)
June 24th
Ceremony held during the winter solstice
● Fiesta de la Vendimia

Chilean Wine is popular/ their pride
This festivity celebrates their annual grape harvest
celebrated in April
Grape stomping (Pisada de uva)
In the months of March and April
● Winter Carnival
Southern hemisphere/ winter in July
2 day festival
Float parade, homage to their culture, theatre productions, fireworks (at the end)
● National Holidays
September, 2 days celebrating independence from imperial Spain
September 18, 1810- day the 1st junta was formed
September 18- national independence
September 19- celebrate all the glories of their army
Spend time w/ family, folkloric/organized gov’t events
Attend official mass
Organize opera gala, military parade
● Festival de Vina del Mar
Most important Latin American music festival
Held every year in the 3rd week of February, hosted since 1960
Performances by national and international artists
last 6 nights
Their talents are measured to be named “Monstruo de la Quinta Vergara”

Religion:
Church and State separated since 1970
Currently, 80% of the population believe in a god
Spanish conquerors introduced Catholicism back in the 16th century
More than half (about 54%) Chileans are Roman Catholics
Many religious festivals are held every year and “La Tirana” being the most colorful one
More than 150,00 people are in attendance, dancing on the streets in festive clothing that include bright and vibrant colors.
Today, the Catholic church is involved in education, running a number of universities as well as primary and secondary schools



Music
A combination of european and indigenous genre
Other music interests: el reguetón, el hip hop, el jazz, el rock, las baladas, boleros o la cumbia chilena
The Tonada is a form of Chilean folk music that was popularized when democracy started to emerge and was favored by younger people
Chilean Musicians Artists Today (Playlists)