If you were to combine Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Apple Blossom (for those of us from Wenatchee) and then pump the whole thing full of accordion music and chicha, you would begin to get the sense of what Fiestas Patrias (Chilean Independence Day) is all about. A woman from my internship said that September really only counts for two work weeks: the Chileans spend the first week working, the second week preparing for Fiestas Patrias, the third week actually celebrating Fiestas Patrias, and the fourth week back at work again. This isn’t far from the truth. The news channels started showing pictures of empanadas and asado at the beginning of the month (not exactly sure what the news was–am still having trouble understanding the tv) and, though we at the university only had a four-day weekend, much of the country has the entire week off from work to dedicate solely to visiting family, dancing cueca, relaxing, and eating as much as they possibly can.

The traditional foods for this time of the year are empanadas, fried or oven-baked bread filled with different types of meat-based deliciousness; anticucho, every possible type of meat on a stick; and chicha, a type of hard cider made from apple or grape juice. Though I’m not a huge fan of the chicha, I certainly ate my fair share of empanadas!

La cueca, Chile’s national dance, is probably my favorite thing about Fiestas Patrias, and I can’t help but smile every time I watch it! Each region of the country has it’s own distinct style and costume for the dance — from the plain, wool clothing of the south, to the extravagant skirts and spurs in the central valley. And, because it is taught in school, everybody knows the dance! When the music comes on, half the room grabs a makeshift handkerchief (scarves, napkins, socks, and toilet paper all seem to function) and a partner and moves onto the dance floor, while the onlookers clap out the rhythm of the music: clap clap, clap clap, clap clap. The dance is one of flirtation and conquest and mimics the mating ritual between rooster and hen. The resemblance is perfect — the man with his flashy, strutting steps pursuing the woman who daintily evades him, all the while shooting flirtatious glances at him from behind her handkerchief. Though partners barely touch throughout the progression of the song, with their eye contact, they manage to create a captivating energy. The dancers circle one another, handkerchiefs waving, occasionally passing close enough to exchange a significant glance before spinning away again until, in the end, they come together and walk off arm-in-arm. I found myself feeling sad that we don’t have something similar in the US — the music might get a bit tiresome after a few hours, but there is something truly beautiful in watching a six-year-old couple dancing alongside their grandparents while the community looks on, clapping out the beat.

I’ve included a link to some footage of cueca (the dancers happen to be Brazilian, but we won’t worry about the details) to give you a sense of what the dance looks like, though it really can’t capture the atmosphere of watching it live.

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For our days of vacation, Jacqui, Manolla, and I went twice to one of the public parks in the city where the set-up is very similar to Apple Blossom — carnival rides (reminding us that carnivals are ALWAYS sketchy, no matter where in the world you happen to find them), artisans selling their goods, and food stalls. The park was full of people and families enjoying the sun, eating, and flying kites. We made two separate attempts to participate in the kite-flying and decided that it was really much more fun to watch Manolla sprint around the park with the kite streaming after her, body-checking toddlers that happened to be in her way, than to just sit in one place and tug occasionally on a string like the skilled kite-flyers were doing.

Friday, we went down to the center of town to watch the military parade — teaching me that soldiers with skis are much cooler than soldiers with guns (see my facebook album) and that, when trying to pick people out of a Chilean crowd, it’s convenient to have blond friends.

Saturday, I went with my friend Alex (also from the Midd program) to Curiñanco, a costal town about an hour and a half from Valdivia, where we spent the afternoon enjoying gorgeous weather and walking through a natural reserve with gorgeous views of the coast.

All-in-all it was a great, relaxing way to spend a weekend. Click here to see the pictures!