Hi! Last
week I was on vacations because of the Fiestas Patrias, 18 of September is the
day we commemorate the Chilean independence, even if it wasn’t specifically the
day of our independence from Spain, but everyone wants an excuse to party, especially
if it is one full week.
The country
usually thinks this day as an inherently Chilean day, as if we can put everything that
makes us Chilean in one day full of old traditions. Culture is much more than
drinking terremotos and going to the Ramadas, but that is me thinking as an
anthropologist, so I don’t think we can take exclusive behaviors and call them
what makes us Chilean, is an issue of identity. I think some people who are
more strongly connected with that kind of things usually reaffirm their
identity in those dates, by doing what they call being Chilean, but that is
associated with a strong nationalism that I dislike. Blind nationalism never
brings anything good.
I think that every country needs traditions so they can have something to identify with, but those traditions should never harm someone, rodeo is awful because is basically people having fun because of the suffering of an innocent animal; I don’t support activities like that. But things like Rayuela are always good.
Well, in
these holidays I went to Viña del Mar with some of my friends, but it wasn’t so
good. One of my friends got sick in the barbecue the second day we arrived and she
couldn’t keep partying. She wasn’t feeling good at all, so she stayed in bed
the whole travel, while the rest of us visited the beach. It was funny because
the same 18 of September we were out, without anything to do and with our
friend in bed, so we decided to eat sushi outside the apartment, the less
traditional thing to do in a day like that.
But thinking in something better, the best
Fiestas Patrias that I can remember was one which I spent with my friends playing videogames, I’m not
strongly attached to the national traditions, so it was really good because I
was with my friends having fun.
I think I
could keep talking about culture, traditions and nationalism forever, but you
have had enough of that. Have a good day!
I agree with you when you said that everyone wants an excuse to celebrate. I don't understand the fever in this dates, because they remember their roots only for one week. The basic thing is to be with the important people for you making anything you want :)
ReplyDeleteOh what a bad luck have your friend, all the things that she happened.. I love Viña del mar I think it´s very gorgeous, but the only problem it´s all the people who goes all the time for the holidays some many people in the streets its very annoying for me
ReplyDeleteWell, when we speak about a complex concept like "traditions" maybe the anthropologist approximation is the best, i m agree. And well, like i say in others posts, rodeo is an irrational tradition. Cheers !
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you say. I agree with you. I do not consider nationalist, but like Fiestas Patrias, basically because I'm with my family and friends, and the air is different at other celebrations.
ReplyDeleteI think it doesn’t really matter if you do traditional things or whatever the people typically do in holidays as long as you are having a good time. Sushi and videogames sounds like a really good time to me :D
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the Rodeo. I believe that is the same with the spanish Corrida de Toros. I hope that someday this traditions will be rejected by everyone.
ReplyDelete