164 CultureShock! Chilegotten their young daughter pregnant. There are dozens of
other legends and creatures and ample books written on
the subject.Public Holidays in Chile
1 January New Year’s Day
March/April Good Friday
1 May Labour Day
21 May Navy Day, Iquique Naval Battle
May/June Corpus Christi
29 June Feast Day of St. Peter and St. Paul
15 August Assumption
18 September Independence Day
19 September Army Day
12 October Columbus Day
1 November All Saint’s Day
8 December Immaculate Conception
25 December Christmas
Certain holidays that fall on a weekend will be celebrated on the
following Monday.FIESTAS PATRIAS
National Day
Fiestas Patrias is a two-day holiday (18 September is National
Day and 19 September is Army Day) that celebrates people’s
sense of ‘Chilean-ness’. Everyone is in a festive mood
and bursting with national pride. Chilean flags are flown
throughout the country (the only month when this is allowed)
and its colours of red, blue and
white seem to grace everything.
It is a great time to be in Chile and
allows you an opportunity to see
into the soul of the country. On
18 September, more commonly
referred to as el dieciocho, many
Chileans celebrate the day with
an asado (barbeque) at home or
at the home of friends or family.September is springtime in Chile,
a perfect time for a fiesta. People
are ready to celebrate after a
chilly, wet winter. During this
month, kites suddenly appear and
are sold on every street corner.
Kite-flying competitions are held
and some of the comisiones or
battles can be fierce. The strings
are coated with pulverised glass
and the objective is to cut loose
your opponent’s kite.