Chile

The Chilean people are friendly, both among themselves and with strangers. The people are known for having a witty sense of humor, for which, together with their cultural and educational refinement, they have been awarded the distinction of being called the "British of South America". Chileans take pride in their literacy, their nation, and their heritage. If a person is asked what he thinks of the future of the country, he will generally express confidence and optimism. In the country there is a strong middle class and education allows many poor people to improve themselves and aspire to a better life. Chileans respect the elderly.

Close to 85% of the population is concentrated in urban areas, of which 40% resides in Greater Santiago. The majority of the population is of Spanish descent, and people are sometimes classified as "mestizos" when they are a mix of indigenous and European. During the colonial era, small but very prominent Irish and English groups arrived in Chile. German immigration began in 1848 and appeared 90 years; the southern provinces of Valdivia, Llanquihue, and Osorno show a marked German influence. Other important groups of immigrants are the Italians, the Croats, the French, and those from the Middle East. Many Native Americans reside in the south-central region, most of whom belong to the Mapuche tribe.

Spanish, or Castilian, is the official language of Chile. However, as in all Latin American countries, some terms that are common in Chile elsewhere do not have the same meaning. English is taught in schools. A few small minorities speak German, Italian, or Mapuche, which is an indigenous dialect.

Chileans very often omit the letter "s" and sometimes do not pronounce the last syllable of long words. They also make clever use of the suffixes "ita" and "ito" although it is more to indicate familiarity with something and yet that something is small.

Greetings in Chile are very important because they emphasize the welcome given to a person and the recognition they receive. The most common greeting between friends and parents is the "abrazo". It consists of a handshake and a hug that is sometimes complemented by a kiss on the right cheek with women or relatives.

When you meet someone for the first time, the most appropriate thing to do is to shake hands. Eye contact is very important when greeting someone. The men stand up to greet a woman who enters the room.

Chileans show a lot of affection to their friends and relatives. The hug is repeated with each person when someone says goodbye to a gathering of friends or family. It is important to address people by their titles. To express appreciation for food to a host, Chileans say: "¡que rico!"

When conversing keeping eye contact and correct posture are important. Excessive hand gestures should be avoided. When yawning it is polite to conceal it with one's hand. One does not beckon people with hand gestures. Items, including money, are handed, not tossed to other people. Respect and courtesy are important to Chileans.

Contrary to some areas in South America, guests wait outside the door of a home until invited inside by the host. Dinner guests often bring flowers, wine, or bread for the host. It is appropriate to greet the head of the family first.

Fashions follow European styles. Appearance is quite important to individuals; even in rural areas, it is important to be neatly and cleanly dressed. Sloppy or tattered clothing is considered in poor taste by many Chileans.

Many national dishes are prepared with fish, seafood, chicken, beef, beans, eggs and corn. A common meal is soup or cazuela made with meat, beans, corn, pumpkin and potato. The main meal is eaten at midday. A lighter meal is eaten between 8.00 and 10.00 pm. During the afternoon it is customary to have teatime.

Hands are kept above the table at all times. It is impolite to ask for second helpings. Even if they are offered, the guest is expected to decline. It used to be considered bad manners to eat food, except for ice cream, while walking in public. It is impolite to promptly leave after a meal is completed; guests should stay and visit for a length of time.

Many national dishes are prepared with fish, seafood, chicken, beef, beans, eggs and corn. A common meal is soup or cazuela made with meat, beans, corn, pumpkin and potato. The main meal is eaten at midday. A lighter meal is eaten between 8.00 and 10.00 pm. During the afternoon it is customary to have teatime.

The family is important in Chile, including the extended family. While men have tended to dominate private and public life in the past, recent years have seen a change in the attitudes to women in the home and professional world. Approximately 30 percent of the labor force is female. While the father takes the lead in the family, the mother has considerable influence on decisions. The relationship between the husband and wife is characterized by reciprocity, with the man performing courtesies for the woman and vice versa. It is customary for a child to bear two family names; the last name is the mother’s family name and the second last name is the father’s family name. People either use their full name or go by their father’s family name, which is the official surname.

Young people begin dating by the time they are 16. Group dating is emphasized early on. Men marry from age 22 onward and women between 18 and 23. Couples often date from one to three years before getting engaged. Divorce is not recognized by the Catholic Church but legal means of canceling or nullifying a marriage are available.

The most popular spectator sport in Chile is fútbol, or soccer. Many consider it Chile's national sport. Major soccer events attract as many as 80,000 people to Santiago's National Stadium. Some of the most popular soccer teams in Chile include Colo Colo, Universidad Católica, and Universidad de Chile.

Chileans love flying kites. Catholic monks brought the first kites to Chile in the 18th century. Today, people of all ages fly kites for sport and amusement in spring and summer. Every weekend, thousands of Santiago residents fly their kites in public parks. Kites have even been honored in Chilean literature as a national treasure.

Rayuela is a Chilean game enjoyed by people of all ages and particularly by men. It involves throwing heavy metal disks called tejos toward a string stretched across damp ground in an attempt to have them land on the string. Children play a similar game using coins rather than the heavy tejos.

The Chilean rodeo is known as the la fiesta huasa. Rodeo teams often travel from village to village and rodeo competitions take place in arenas called media lunas (half moons). Huasos, Chilean cowboys, dress in colorful ponchos, fringed leggings, flat-topped hats, high-heeled boots, and large spurs. The object of the competition is for a two-man team to control a steer by making it stop in a certain place without using a lasso.

A traditional Indian team game is called chueca, which means curved stick. A hole marks the center of the field and a goal line is drawn across each end of the field. The game starts at the hole. Each team tries to knock a small rubber ball into it using a curved stick. The first player to succeed then drives the ball across the opposing team's goal line to score a point. Chueca was created by Indians long before the Spanish arrived in the area known today as Chile.

Chileans enjoy group activities and most people belong to a team, club, or organization. Some take part in a variety of sports including tennis, fishing, golf, volleyball, polo, rugby, basketball, skiing, water-skiing, fishing, scuba diving, horseback riding, and jogging.

Breakfast is light and often consists of bread topped with jelly or manjar, a yummy caramel-like topping. Parents will drink tea or coffee with their breakfast bread, which they buy daily from a local bakery.

School generally begins at 8:00 in the morning and is done at around 4:00 in the afternoon. Kids will usually walk or ride a public transportation bus to school, depending on how far from the school they live. The public buses offer reduced fares to students, who wear badges that identify with the school they attend. Some schools provide lunch for the students, while others (in rural areas or certain private schools) allow students to go home for lunch.

Children wear uniforms that have a badge to school. The badge identifies which school the student attends. High school students wear black and white uniforms and are sometimes known by the nickname “penguins.” It is not unusual for a school to be an open-air building (especially in northern regions, which means that classes can be quite chilly in the winter. However, because it rarely rains in such areas, there is no need to provide protection against bad weather. Open schools usually have a large open courtyard that serves as a theater, playground, and assembly hall. Around the courtyard are hallways that lead to classrooms, offices, and bathrooms. Like students in many Asian schools, students stay in the same classroom all day—except when they have a class that requires different classroom equipment, such as a computer class. Until the mid-1990s, school was conducted in two shifts, morning and afternoon. This has now changed to a longer school day. The previous two-shift schedule was used in part to keep a low student-teacher ratio. Since the change, the national Ministry of Education has set a maximum ratio of no more than 45 students for every teacher. Most classes have about 40 students.

Children study between 10 and 13 subjects during each school week, and they stay with the same group of classmates all day long. Children are required to attend elementary school for eight years (ages 6-13), with optional attendance in effect for four years of high school (ages 14-17). All classes are taught in Spanish, the national language. Subjects include math, science, history, geography, Spanish, English, music, belief systems, technology, and physical education. In some areas with high populations of native peoples, their local language is also taught in school. These tend to be in rural areas removed from cities and larger towns. General basic education (EGB) is compulsory and lasts for eight years, divided into two cycles of four years each. Secondary education (Educación media) lasts for four years. Students choose to specialize either in humanistic-scientific education (EMHC) or technical-professional education (EMTP). The humanistic-scientific branch, offered in liceos, is a preparation for higher education. Students are awarded the Licencia de Educación Media at the end. Technical-professional education offers a two-year common course and two years of specialization divided into five branches: industrial, technical, agricultural, commercial, and maritime. Students who successfully complete their secondary education obtain the Licencia de Educación Media or the title of Técnico de Nivel Medio.

Sports in Chile are usually organized by leagues rather than schools, so schools offer very few sports or similar extracurricular activities. Private schools are more likely to provide clubs for the arts, media, or perhaps even sports.

Because schools offer very few sports or social activities after school, most youth will simply gather at someone’s home to visit or have other social gatherings. They also often meet at recreational centers. Regardless of where they gather, young Chileans are friendly and outgoing. They enjoy social experiences. Because they have the same classmates all day, they become very good friends, especially when they hang out together after school too.

Families are very important to the Chilean lifestyle. It is very common for extended families to stay close to each other and see each other often, so cousins know their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins quite well. Adult friends of the parents are even called “aunt” or “uncle” as a sign of affection and respect. Sometimes children will live with a relative in order to attend a better school or for other reasons. Such extended families provide great support when any given family is struggling in some way, and they provide great fun at family gatherings and holidays! At about 5:00 in the afternoon, families have a sort of “second breakfast” called Once (pronounced own-say). The main fare is bread and sandwich toppings with tea and coffee. This meal helps everyone get through the hours until it is time for dinner, which comes in the late evening and is about the same size as a traditional lunch. Common foods served at this meal include stew, shepherd's pie, or a variety of bean dishes.

Although, as in most Latin American countries, has only in recent years encouraged girls to gain as much education as boys, the country also has a tradition of providing education to women who wanted higher levels of education. For example, Chile was the first country in Latin America to graduate female lawyers and physicians—in the 1880s from the University of Chile! As women have access to more and more education, the number of women in the workforce, including the professional workforce, is increasing. This means that extended family members often help to raise little children while their mothers are working during the day. Chile is similar to many Latin American countries in that most children (approximately 90%) attend elementary school. However, only slightly over half will attend preschool, and slightly less than half will remain in high school. Impressively, nearly 20% of the national government budget goes to education. Despite this, many Chileans feel that the educational system has some serious problems and does not do a very good job of educating their children. The school year begins in late February or early March and finishes in December so that the children do not attend during the hottest months. There are two major breaks of two weeks each in the school year—one in June or July and another in September. Approximately 70 percent of the schools in Chile are privately owned. Many students do not attend school after they finish elementary school. They are often required to begin working to support their family. Most high school students come from upper-middle-class or upper-class families.