How To Celebrate Fiestas Patrias Like A Chilean
What is Fiestas Patrias Anyway?
So, Fiestas Patrias or “dieciocho” is a celebration of eating drinking and being merry, is a mandatory public holiday and includes delicious empanadas, the smell of anticuchos in the air, lots of great Chilean red wine, Mote con Huesillo, Cueca dancing, creole games, and is a perfect time to experience the essence of Chilean culture.
The country as a whole loves to celebrate Fiestas Patrias throughout the entire month of September, especially in Santiago, the capital. Earlier in the month flags embellish the cities, the ramadas or fondas appear, children used to fly kites but today you'll see comets because it’s the perfect weather conditions for it, and enjoying a glass of Chilean red wine with friends is a must.
Chilean Traditions
In these fondas or marquees (or around the house after plenty of beverages) people will dance La Cueca, one of the most relevant folk dances in Chile danced with a handkerchief in hand and a constant stomping, and kicking up of the loose ground at their feet. The dancing couple in costumes of the "Huasos" (Chilean cowboys) circles each other very flirtatiously and both wave their white handkerchiefs overhead. They don't really dance together as a couple, but rather for each other, in a way that seeks to emulate a rooster courting the hen.
La Cueca is the traditional dance of Fiestas Patrias and although each region has its own dances and outfits, the Cueca from the central region is the national dance. Almost everyone I’ve met here in Chile really enjoys dancing cueca and many locals even compete in cueca dance competitions.
The History Bit
Contrary to popular belief, the 18th September isn’t Chilean Independence Day but is actually the anniversary of the First Cabinet Meeting which took place in 1810, and (according to historians) was a meeting where some 450 military men, heads of aristocratic families and prelates of religious orders gathered in the consulate building to deliberate on how the country should be governed after Napoleon captured King Ferdinand VII of Spain.
This meeting where the attendants supposedly pledged their allegiance to the captured king, would be the start of the independence process. It wasn't until eight years later though that Chile was eventually considered an independent country. The following day, on 19th the Glories of the Army is celebrated with a large military parade in Santiago and several smaller ones in other regions.
Typical Food & Drinks (My favourite bit)
In order to celebrate like a Chilean, you need to eat like one! This shouldn’t be too difficult, especially with all of the delicious food available during this holiday.
This year I was invited to a gathering where we made homemade vegan choripán with pebre, and empanadas de pino, washed down with plenty of beer and red wine. If you swipe through the pictures, you’ll see me trying to eat one of each at the SAME TIME!
Choripán is a longaniza (also called chorizo) in bread, usually crammed between marraqueta (a soft Chilean bread), and the pebre sauce that spices things up is made from tomato, diced onion, chopped cilantro, spicy chili peppers (or you can use merkén if your tolerance to spice is low), olive oil, salt and optionally lemon juice or vinegar. I always like to add some NOT Mayo to mine before adding my pebre.
Chileans love to put pebre on bread, salads or fried pastries called “sopaipillas.” To be honest, pebre seems to go with just about anything!
Empanadas de Pino are a savoury pastry traditionally filled with meat, onion, a hard-boiled egg and an olive. There are also empanadas de pino with “merkén” which is a special Chilean spice I always bring back to London with me. It gives the traditional pastry an extra kick! If you make them yourself like we did, you can make them vegan or vegetarian too.
You can’t celebrate “dieciocho” without Anticuchos. An anticucho is a mixture of meats and veggies on a stick or skewer. It’s roasted over the grill and typically served with a piece of bread on the end. This can also be made plant based with the amount of imitation meats available in Chile (if you know where to look), but you just have to make sure you prepare in advance because these options sell out fast at this time of year.
Wash down all of these tasty treats with a traditional Chilean drink. It’s the best way to enjoy your local meal while enjoying all of the festivities. Here are some favourites: The Terremoto is the perfect combination of white wine and grenadine, topped with pineapple ice cream! It looks a bit like a float, but don’t be fooled by its sweet flavour -- this drink is strong. It even takes the name terremoto from the word for earthquake in Spanish.
Chicha is a fermented (alcoholic) or non-fermented beverage of Latin America, emerging from the Andes and Amazonia regions. The chicha in Chile is a holiday beverage made out of fermented grapes, not corn like in Bolivia and Peru. It can also be made out of apples as well.
At first glance, Mote con Huesillo might look a bit strange – it certainly did to me the first time I was served a glass about 6 years ago. But it’s actually a really delicious and refreshing drink! It tastes a bit like sugary peach juice, with a rehydrated (previously dried) peach floating on top and yellow wheat sitting at the bottom. I've included a photo so you can see for yourself.
If you’re curious to know more about Chile, do get in touch. I’ve travelled the length of the country from Arica on the border with Peru, down to the Atacama Desert, Patagonia, and been here about 8 or 9 times now, so I can certainly help you with planning your perfect trip.
