Venezuela

Venezuelans tend to be tolerant of cultural and racial differences. Venezuelans tend to have a more relaxed view of time. They even say that they are on Venezuelan time (hora Venezolana).

Venezuelans consider it important to finish conversations, even if it means they arrive a little later at their next destination. Venezuelans are proud of their country and heritage.

Many Venezuelans use affectionate nicknames for people whom they do not know well. For instance, it is not strange to be called “my love” (mi amor) by an acquaintance. Many nicknames are given on the basis of a person's appearance. When shaking hands, Venezuelans use the appropriate greeting for the time of day - 'buenos dias', 'buenas tardes', or 'buenas noches'.

A firm handshake is a common greeting among acquaintances and strangers. Venezuelans communicate with various hand gestures to emphasize a point. Pointing with one's index finger is considered rude. It is polite to maintain eye contact throughout a conversation.

When a visitor arrives at a home or business, a small cup of strong thick coffee is usually offered. Table manners are Continental style (the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating). When eating it is considered polite to leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating. When finished eating, place the knife and fork diagonally across the plate with the prongs facing down and the handles facing to the right.

Venezuelans take pride in their clothes and appearance. Being neat, clean, and properly groomed is important. Venezuelans may wear traditional clothing with French and Italian styles.

Instead of bread, most Venezuelans eat arepas. Arepas are fried or baked corn or wheat pancakes, often filled with meat, eggs or cheese. They are so popular that there are food stands, called areperas, that specialize in making arepas. Similar foods include cachapas (sweet corn pancakes usually filled with cheese), tequenos (fried dough combined with cheese), empanadas (hearty cheese-filled pastries) and pan de jámon, long bread filled with ham, olives and raisins.

Meat is another important part of Venezuelan cuisine. One common dish, sancocho (a meat and vegetable stew) is usually served with arepas and toasted cassava. One of Venezuela's national dishes is pabellón criollo, which is made with flank steak, black beans, rice and fried plantains (cooking bananas). Mondogo is another popular dish. It is a thick soup made from tripe and vegetables.

Guavas in syrup with cream cheese, and strawberries with cream are common Venezuelan desserts. Májarete, a coconut custard, and quesillo, an egg custard, are favorite desserts. Locally grown fresh fruits include papayas, watermelons, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, guavas, oranges and strawberries.

The largest meal in Venezuela is eaten between noon and 3 p.m. Many Venezuelans go home to eat lunch with their families. Venezuelans eat a light supper at 8 p.m. or later.

Instead of bread, most Venezuelans eat arepas. Arepas are fried or baked corn or wheat pancakes, often filled with meat, eggs or cheese. They are so popular that there are food stands, called "areperas", that specialize in making arepas. Similar foods include cachapas (sweet corn pancakes usually filled with cheese), tequenos (fried dough combined with cheese), empanadas (hearty cheese-filled pastries) and pan de jámon, long bread filled with ham, olives and raisins.

Meat is another important part of Venezuelan cuisine. One common dish, sancocho (a meat and vegetable stew) is usually served with arepas and toasted cassava. One of Venezuela's national dishes is pabellón criollo, which is made with flank steak, black beans, rice and fried plantains (cooking bananas). Mondogo is another popular dish. It is a thick soup made from tripe and vegetables.

Guavas in syrup with cream cheese, and strawberries with cream are common Venezuelan desserts. Májarete, a coconut custard, and quesillo, an egg custard, are favorite desserts. Locally grown fresh fruits include papayas, watermelons, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, guavas, oranges and strawberries.

The largest meal in Venezuela is eaten between noon and 3 p.m. Many Venezuelans go home to eat lunch with their families. Venezuelans eat a light supper at 8 p.m. or later.

To Venezuelans, the family is at the center of their lives. Most spend a great deal of their free time with their families. Three generations of people may live together in the same house or apartment, and elderly people are usually treated with respect. Grandparents, or abuelitos, often look after young children if both parents work outside the home.

Some people in the coastal regions of Venezuela live in houses on stilts called palefitos. Larger cities have modern housing developments and apartment buildings. Some of the indigenous peoples have unique types of housing. Yanomami people live under a large circular roof called a yano. One yano can hold up to one hundred families. Each family has its own place within the yano.

Venezuelans enjoy baseball, and soccer is also popular, particularly in the Andean region. They like to spend their vacations on the beach or in one of the country's several freshwater lakes, where they go water skiing, surfing, scuba diving, scuba diving, and fishing. Others enjoy bullfighting.

An exclusive pastime for Venezuelans is a game known as bolas criollas, or Venezuelan bowling. This team game is played outdoors on a flat surface. One of the players throws a ball some three or four meters away that will be the target. Players then take turns shooting their balls trying to get them as close to the object ball as possible. The team that ends up with the balls closest to the object ball wins.

Popular children's games include marbles (bolitas), flying kites (barriletes), and dominoes. One popular game called "trompo" (spinning top) is played with a wooden top. Some children play "carrucha", making homemade cars out of wooden boxes, or "pelota de goma", a version of baseball played with a rubber ball, using a fist for the bat.

Most people have television. Among the most popular shows are soap operas and beauty pageants. Venezuelan soap operas are very successful in Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru.

Venezuelans have won international competitions in water skiing and motorcycling. Many talented boxers are also from Venezuela, such is the case of "morocho" Hernández and "morochito" Rodríguez who have participated in the Olympic Games and other international competitions.

Luis Aparicio is considered by many to be the best baseball player in the history of Venezuela. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Children must leave early for school in Venezuela, which means that getting ready in the morning is usually simple and fast. Many schools begin as early as 7:00 or 7:30. A favorite bread called arepas is made with corn flour, water, and salt and is very popular at all meals.

Although some private schools have their own school-owned bus systems to transport kids to and from school, kids will usually walk or ride a public bus to school, depending on the local circumstances. They will catch their bus between 6:00 and 6:30, and arrive at school around 7:00. At the end of the day, students return home the same way they came.

All children must wear a uniform to school. And under the current political emphasis on education, school meals are provided in every nationally-funded school, called a “Bolivarian” school. In order to improve the general education level of its citizens, the Venezuelan education office requires that school last much of the day, from 8:00 in the morning until later afternoon, with up to three meals provided, depending on the actual length of the school day in each school. The school canteen is open most of the school day, and the students are responsible for keeping the area clean and tidy. Parents can arrange for a prepaid amount to be available for their child to take advantage of each day or week. The canteen offers a variety of healthy sandwiches, salads, stews, fruit drinks, and lunch meals that include beef, pork chops, chicken, and fish.

The language of Venezuela is Spanish. In addition to Spanish, elementary schools teach mathematics, reading, science, and social studies, among other basic subjects. Education is a very important part of Venezuelan life under the direction of President Hugo Chavez. Although President Chavez is politically controversial, he has done much to improve the education and other social conditions of his country’s people. For example, not only do children attend class during the day but so also many parents in the evenings after work attend the same schools, where they are taught to read and write by hundreds of volunteers throughout the country. In areas that have been difficult to access with the new emphasis on education, “educational missions” have been organized, each one named after a hero from the country’s history. These innovative missions, directed by highly motivated and skilled educators, are making steady progress against the poor education that had become so prevalent. As money is more available for schools, and as the basics of seats, decent classrooms, working bathrooms, and the like are provided once again, more advanced tools can be added, such as computers and overhead projectors. But these are still relatively rare, especially in rural schools. Families must buy their own books, arrange transportation, and cover basic daily expenses such as food. Instead of being given a letter grade or a percentage, Venezuelan students are often marked out of twenty. On this scale, ten is a passing mark. Deaf and hearing-impaired people use Venezuelan sign language. State-run schools for deaf people have been operating since 1937, and many go to college or university with a sign language interpreter.

Extracurricular activities in Venezuela are largely nonexistent. The few schools that may sponsor art or science clubs following school are large national schools rather than community-based schools.   Some private schools tend to offer more after-school activities than public schools, such as basketball, soccer, language clubs, band, orchestra, gymnastics, and karate.

Venezuelans love fútbol (soccer), which is their favorite sport. However, they are also fond of baseball, basketball, and boxing. Coastal or river areas enjoy water sports.  Venezuelans are friendly and love to party. They mix play with their school and with their work. They are creative and social with one another. Unfortunately, many families are poor and require that their older children work after school or drop out of school altogether in order to help support the family.

In Venezuela, the close relationship of families and friends ties communities and the nation together. Families are very important. Thus, much of the time at home in the evening is spent with family, either working, celebrating, or just plain socializing. Families are very protective of their children, especially of the girls. As grandparents get older, they often move in with their children and help as they can with raising the grandchildren.

Education in Venezuela has improved significantly during the past several years under a new government direction. In the past, most of Venezuela’s profits from its oil industry, which is the country’s biggest money-maker, have gone to a relatively small part of the population. About 80% of the people were living at the poverty level. By contrast, in 2006 over 40% of the national budget was focused on improving conditions for the poor, including improving education. And just as important is a shift in the attitude of Venezuelans in general, for in areas where government changes have not improved education, often local communities are taking charge of the schools and together are fixing up school buildings, providing teachers, and in general making sure that their children will get a good education. Schooling is required and is free for children from ages seven to fourteen years old. Venezuela has 20,000 elementary schools, but only 2,000 secondary and technical schools. After the age of fourteen, fewer than 50% of students continue on to complete their secondary education. The emphasis on getting children into schools and keeping them there longer has been working, however. Between 1999 and 2002 the total number of children attending school increased by 1.5 million. Some private schools do exist, but they are usually attended by the children of wealthy families or children of international businessmen. Interestingly, if the children are from a country other than Venezuela, sometimes the teacher will allow the students to bring their home-country textbooks so the students can maintain consistency with their previous studies. Elementary school begins with a year of preparatory subjects and is roughly equal to first grade in the United States. All students must complete this year before they can advance to the six main years of elementary school. Following elementary school is a secondary school, which is divided into two parts. The first three years consist of general studies, but the final two years focus on more specialized learning in an area of interest.  The school day is usually five hours long, and children attend in shifts. Some begin early in the morning and go until about 1:00, while others begin in the early afternoon and attend until 6:00 in the evening. Not only are the children benefiting from the increased emphasis on education, but so are their parents. In a country plagued with illiteracy, more than 1.5 million adults have been taught to read and write in the last decade. Adult literacy now stands at just over 90% and continues to rise.