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EveryParampara

Traditions of Santiago

The capital of Chile, with Fiestas Patrias, empanadas, cueca dancing and the wine harvest nearby.

Santiago lies in a valley between the Andes and the coastal range, in a country that stretches along the Pacific. The Fiestas Patrias, on 18 and 19 September, bring picnics, kites, and fondas, open-air tents, where people dance the cueca, the national dance of handkerchiefs and courting.

Santiago: Santiago de Chile, Desde el Cerro San Cristóbal
Photo: Omnespsx ( D • ES ), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fiestas Patrias and the cueca

In the fondas, families eat empanadas and anticuchos and drink chicha and terremoto, a wine and ice cream cocktail. The cueca is danced by couples with handkerchiefs and a rooster-hen courtship. The huaso, a rural horseman in a poncho and flat hat, is honoured, and rodeos are held, a national sport.

At the table

Pastel de choclo, a corn pie with beef, empanadas de pino, completo, a hot dog with avocado, and curanto, a seafood feast of the south, are favourites. Pisco sour and wines from the Maipo valley are poured. Sopaipillas are fried pumpkin dough. Pan amasado is home-baked.

Signature traditions of Santiago

CuecaThe dance.Fiestas PatriasThe national days.

Also part of it, and being written: Pastel de choclo (The pie.), Empanada (The pastry.), Huaso (The horseman.).

A trail idea for Santiago

  1. Mercado Central Eat seafood.
  2. La Vega Buy produce.
  3. Cerro Santa Lucía See the view.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇨🇱 Santiago, Chile and 3 moreCueca A courtship dance of Chile and the Andes where partners trace circles with handkerchiefs to mimic a rooster and hen.Performance 🇨🇱 Rancagua, Chile and 1 moreChilean rodeo A Chilean equestrian sport and weekend festival contested in a crescent-shaped arenaGame 🇦🇷 Santiago del Estero, Argentina and 1 moreChacarera A partner dance and folk music genre from Argentina's north-west, known for its distinctive rhythm and courtship steps.Performance 🇨🇱 Santiago, ChileFiestas Patrias Chile's homeland festivities celebrating national identity with music, dance, and foodCeremony

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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