Semana de la Chilenidad or Independence Day in Chile
It was more than nine months after living in Chile when we learned about La Semana de la Chilenidad. At the beginning we quite didn’t get it simply because they do make a big celebration of it. It is very popular for South American countries to make what in Chile is called a “Sándwich.” If a holiday falls in between workdays then they declare either the day before or the day after a no-work day, to match it up with the weekend. Giving people extra time to plan a trip or simply to relax. Sometimes the holidays could be two days, but then combined with the soon to be no-work day turns it into a sándwich, plus the weekend days makes of this holiday a five-day event.
The year was 2012, aside from the formal celebration by the Palacio de Gobierno and a speech from the President, we wanted to mingle with the locals, and try the traditional food. We started inquiring about where the best place to participate of their independence celebration was. Most people told us to go to the Padre Hurtado Park, which is located between Las comunas de Las Condes and La Reina. This park is very appropriate for this celebration because it is the second largest park in Santiago (the first being El Parque Metropolitano).
The upcoming 2019 Chilean celebration starts on September 16th through September 22nd. The attractions appear very similar to what we experienced back in 2012 with some new shows.
They charge a fee to get access to this event, and this year the cost is $7,000 Chilean Pesos for adults, children and elderly people pay $2,000; and if driving you have to pay $6,00 Chilean Pesos for parking. The entrance fee is worth it considering everything you get to enjoy at this celebration. For us, it is the biggest party done in Chile showing their patriotism and love for their country. No other country in South America makes as big (one week) of an Independence event as Chile.
The main attraction for us was the equestrian squads, equestrian tests, and folklore shows. Back in 2012 I got to appreciate our famous Peruvian Marineras and Caballos de Paso perform live in Chile.
The event also offers many handcraft shops, food stands, Chilean horse exhibition, animal farm, activities for children, and more. We were advised to try a very traditional Chilean drink called “terremoto,” and we were laughing at the very appropriate name! Terremoto means earthquake and they said that it is called that because after you drink one you end up trembling.
There was a rodeo show, and I believe they still have it, so this is something to enjoy as well, along with the traditional Huasos, the poncho wearing Chilean cowboys, and some other performances such as Rapa Nui cultural show, the infallible Cueca Chilena music, and dance.
We were very surprised to find a shop where you could get a custom made Huaso Hat, the very traditional flat-brimmed Chilean cowboy hat. We tried some of the typical Chilean food as “empanadas de pino,” but little did we know the main ingredient in these empanadas is onions! The first bite into one was a rude surprise! Nothing beats the Argentinian beef empanadas. I have also found something very similar to the Peruvian Anticucho (barbeque beef heart on skewers), but one bite and I was disappointed, it was not what I was expecting. The lesson of the story do not expect anything else but Chilean food, and do not compare it with other countries either.
As on our other Independence Day posts we are sharing a recipe to celebrate this event, and this time is the famous Terremoto. This Chilean drink consist mainly of Pipeño (a Chilean wine) with Pineapple ice cream.
Terremoto a Chilean Cocktail
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 750 ml. bottle of chilled Pipeño, here we are going to use a dessert white wine. It could be a chilled Moscato, Riesling, or Pinot Grigio
1/3 cup of Fernet Branca
Pineapple ice cream; here in USA we only found Coconut and Pineapple ice cream by Haggen-Dazs, which works fine, or you could use pineapple Sherbet.
Preparation:
In a pitcher mix the chilled white wine with the Fernet Branca.
In a tall glass add one or two-scoops of pineapple ice cream and top it with the white wine and fernet mix.
Salud! Chi chi chi le le le
There is also another good way to celebrate Chilean’s Independence Day, with an exceptional quality Chilean Carmenere wine. And as Chileans say “si vino y no tomo vino, entonces para que vino?” -it roughly translates to “If he came and didn’t drink wine, then what did he come for?” but this loses the play on words with the double meaning of “vino.”
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South America seems to refuse to show its inexhaustible creative force.
