Paraguay

Paraguayan culture has been heavily shaped by its Spanish Colonial past, creating a modern culture. This is a unique blend of European and indigenous heritages. Paraguayans are deeply proud of their heritage.

The system of social classes roughly follows the Spanish system. In general, town people are considered to have higher status than country folk, and people who have been married in the church may look down on those whose matrimony has been a less formal affair. Those who live in Asuncion think of themselves as better than those in smaller towns.

Common greetings in Paraguay include:

Handshakes: Handshakes are a common way to greet someone in Paraguay, particularly in formal or business settings. When shaking hands, making eye contact and offering a firm handshake is customary.

Cheek kisses: Cheek kissing is a standard greeting among friends and family in Paraguay. It's customary to exchange one or two kisses on the cheek, depending on the level of familiarity between the individuals. Generally, this involves touching cheeks and making a kissing sound without actual lip contact.

Verbal greetings: Verbal greetings are also important in Paraguay. Common greetings include "Hola" (hello), "Buenos días" (good morning), "Buenas tardes" (good afternoon), and "Buenas noches" (good evening/goodnight). Adding the person's title or surname, such as "Señor" or "Señora," shows respect.

Hugs: Close friends and family members may greet each other with hugs, especially if they haven't seen each other in a while.

"¿Cómo estás?": This phrase means "How are you?" and is often used as a friendly greeting. It's common for people to inquire about each other's well-being as part of the greeting.

"¿Cómo va?": Similar to "¿Cómo estás?", this phrase translates to "How's it going?" and is another casual way to greet someone.

The Guaraní have a secular, a secret, and a sacred language. All Guaraní speak the secular language. The male and female members speak the sacred language to receive divine messages and transmit them to the rest of the group. Religious leaders use the holy language.

Drinking maté is a social pastime and an important ritual shared among friends.

In urban areas, people wear Western or European styles of clothing. Rural women wear a shawl called a rebozo and a simple dress or a skirt and blouse. Men usually wear loose pants called bomachas, a shirt or jacket, a neck scarf, and a poncho.

The national dish is sopa paraguaya which is a corn bread with cheese and onions. Maise (corn) and cassava are a staple at most meals. Parrillada, grilled meat is a popular item at restaurants.

Paraguayan women work hard doing housework, grinding corn, cooking food, mending clothes, and caring for their children. They also do the marketing and carry the water. Women are limited in their job opportunities outside the home. They can be needle workers, lace makers, laundresses, cigar makers, small storekeepers or cotton pickers to supplement family income.

In lower-income families, marriage is likely to be an informal affair with no church or civil ceremony. As a result, spouses may change frequently and easily. Marriages in which loyalty is not strongly asked of either partner often are dissolved, leaving the woman with the burden of raising the children.

Futbol is the most popular sport and is played in every town, fields and at formal clubs. Basketball is the second most popular sport in Paraguay, Paraguayans enjoy hunting and fishing, both for sport and for food. Horseback riding , a necessity on the ranches has become a widely practiced pastime in the capitals and major towns.

Mornings in Paraguay may differ from home to home, depending on which school session the children attend. Children arise early and have a light breakfast of local bread and perhaps a tea-like drink before heading off to work in the fields, sell goods on the street, or attend school for half the day.

Kids will either walk or ride public transportation buses to school, regardless of which school session they attend and then return home the same way. In some areas, bicycles may be the best way to get around, but walking remains most common. It is free and can get the kids everywhere, given enough time.

Most schools require a uniform. To make the most of the school buildings and facilities, some schools will begin at 7:30 and go until 11:30. A second session for other students will run from 1:30 until 5:30. Some schools will also offer a third session in the evening. Children only attend school four hours a day, and the multiple school sessions help them because they must often work most of the rest of the day, either on a farm in rural areas or selling goods on the streets in the cities. Children can make up most street vendors in the cities, which is quite a change from North American and European cultures. Most children go to school with only a notebook and a pencil. Textbooks are hard to come by, and teachers usually teach from a barely adequate blackboard. In Paraguay, the big meal of the day is usually at noon. Families return home for lunch and then take a little nap (siesta) after eating and returning to their day’s activities. This is becoming more difficult to do in large cities such as Asuncion, so the tradition is changing to a more American-like work and school schedule. Still, most of the country continues as it has for many, many years.

Paraguay has two official languages: Spanish and Guarani. Spanish is used in schools, government, and business, whereas Guarani is common for everyday conversations among family and friends. In schools with high Guarani-speaking populations, some classes and materials are available in that language. Primary education is Compulsory, but not every child attends, especially in rural areas. By the time young people reach secondary school, they often must give up their studies to work in the fields to supplement family incomes. To persuade parents of the relevance of education, the government offers technical and vocational education to young people. About 90 percent of the adult population can read and write. The school system is heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, which is the official state religion and operates nearly all private schools. There is little distinction between church and state education. However, other religions are permitted to worship in the country and operate schools if they so choose. In part because of this strong, centuries-long influence, the school system is quite centralized, with all schools conducting the same programs and teaching the same content. The core subjects covered in elementary schools include reading, writing, math, science, and history; additional subjects offered in many schools are Christian education, Spanish, Guarani, English, music, and computer skills. The average student-to-teacher ratio is 21 to 1. Unfortunately, many teachers in rural schools are not certified and are not as well educated as they should be.

Extracurricular activities in Paraguay are largely nonexistent. Children must join a community club if they want to participate in sports or other interests. Some private schools—especially for Americans living in the country—tend to offer more after-school activities than public schools so that the children will more readily fit into American schools when their families move back to the United States.

The youth of Paraguay love soccer, which is their favorite sport. Every town has a competitive soccer team for adult men, and the best teams compete with teams from Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. Young people enjoy supporting their favorite teams. They also enjoy basketball, volleyball, horse racing, and swimming. Children must often spend much of their time working to help support the family, but that does not prevent them from enjoying the time they can play games with their friends. Paraguayans are friendly and enjoy conversation as a sort of national pastime.

Social life in Paraguay centers on the family—and soccer! Parents are protective of their children, especially in the evenings. Children are expected to tell their parents whenever they leave home, explain where they are going and with whom, and give a close estimate of when they will be home. Girls are especially watched over and protected, so they will probably have stricter curfews and rules than their brothers. Godparents are also very important to the family structure in Paraguay. If the parents cannot fulfill their responsibilities, it is up to the godparents to step in and take over. Thus, it is common for children to visit their godparents in the evening to chat about their lives and what they are doing. For teenagers, family and godparents also significantly influence their political views since party loyalty is often the most essential factor in getting as good a job as possible, especially in rural areas. The wealthier people of Paraguay eat a lot of meat, especially beef. The rest of the population lives on a largely vegetarian diet made of cassava (sort of like a potato), corn, and beans. They also eat a lot of chili and a wide variety of vegetables. A typical meal is a porridge made of dried beans, peas, and peanuts. Paraguayans also enjoy baked corn souffle. Therefore, a common evening meal at home with family would often have one or more of these main dishes. Because the midday meal is the main meal for most of the country, the evening meal, usually around six or seven o’clock, is lighter. Families and communities are often poor, but they have simple but frequent celebrations where they gather and share friendships and family relations. Socializing does not revolve around expensive pastimes, and helping one another is a part of surviving well.

Education in Paraguay, like many Latin American countries, is difficult. Despite that, 80% of all children over five can read and write, and 92% of adults read and write. Schooling is free and required for children ages seven to fourteen. However, this rule is not strictly enforced, especially for children in rural areas. Many children never attend or will drop out in those areas to help their family attend to farming. The school year runs from March to October, with a two-week mid-winter (July) break. Because of the challenge of getting a good education in Paraguay wealthier families will often send their children to universities in Argentina or Brazil. Paraguay has two universities for those who can advance to that level (the National University and the Catholic University, but for those who do, the education is free—even at the universities. In the early 1970s, more than 95% of all rural students dropped out of school before finishing the required six years of education. Soon after, however, education began a slow but determined improvement. Recent studies show that the overall percentage of urban and rural children who finish six years of school has risen to nearly 40%. (For rural kids, only 25% finish elementary school.) Approximately one out of every four children will continue to secondary school, but only 1% will earn a university degree. One very encouraging fact is that young women make up half of all secondary school graduates, which reflects significant progress in education rights and possibilities for girls. Following six years in elementary school, secondary school is divided into two separate three-year segments: one focuses on the humanities and is intended to prepare students for university and professional studies, while the other is focused on more practical interests such as a program in agriculture, commerce, or industry. Graduation from either program brings the student a baccalaureate degree.