I’m just shy of the one-month mark in my journey through Chile. I’m living in Valparaíso, a city on the bay about an hour and a half from Santiago, the capital of Chile. So far, I’ve traveled throughout Valparaíso and its neighboring cities Viña del Mar and Concón, along with the south in a rural area about 40 minutes from Temuco for a week, and Santiago (mostly in transit). I’ve seen many of the most beautiful landscapes of my life, from stargazing in Temuco to the sand dunes at Concón to the nature in the south to the Andes in Santiago and from Parque Nacional La Campana.

Last weekend was Chile’s national holiday, also called the Fiestas Patrias or simply the dieciocho (it’s on 18th of September). I had heard about the Fiestas Patrias since almost the first day I arrived. It’s widely known as a huge holiday; most kids get the entire week off from school, and everyone takes a break to see family and celebrate. Parts of the celebration are the cueca (the national dance), flying kites, and going to fondas or fairs.

One of the main components is food, principally empanadas and asado (grilled meat), choripán (similar to a brat), pebre (kind of salsa), and mote con huesillo (a dessert made of peach juice with grains of wheat). Lunch included all these foods and more at the family gathering I attended. We left our house at 9:30 to start the day, took the train to Limache, a nearby city inland, to drive an hour and arrive at the house of a family member.

From 11 to around 1, we were snacking and chatting, followed by a huge lunch. Later, we played lotería, which is similar to the version from Mexico or Spain by the same name, and it is played like bingo. We played one version with typical Chilean words and one version with numbers. Both were difficult to understand in a second language with the speed at which cards were read, but I did manage to win a few rounds. Afterwards, at around 6, we ate once (the evening meal in Chile, which replaces dinner with a lighter, snacklike meal) and left the house at about 8. From there, we were stuck in traffic for an additional hour (the roads were very busy all day) and boarded the last train back to Valparaíso at 10, finally arriving back home at 11.

It was an exhausting day between traveling, celebrating and talking to the many family members (there were more than 20 people present). However, it was also extremely enjoyable, and I had a great time. The hype did explain itself, and it was an all-day celebration that I can only describe as a mix between the 4th of July and a summer all-day birthday party (everything was also outside). The celebration continues into the next day, where we did the same thing at a neighboring house. Again, it was an all-day event from 11am to 6pm. I understand now why Chileans were so excited for the holiday, and why it was all anyone talked about for weeks. The 18th is a huge holiday with such a joyful atmosphere, and I’m so glad I got to experience it in a very traditional Chilean way with my homestay family.

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