Fun and festivities in Chile - celebrations, festivals and cultural events

Chilean holidays and festivals are always amazing and full of color. Throughout the year, Chile hosts a number of holiday festivals. It can be said that the country itself is a picturesque festival, in which the unique traditions of indigenous peoples are mixed with Catholic customs. Like in any other Catholic country, Christmas is celebrated here in December. At traditional family dinner on December 24, people eat cakes with dried fruits and drink "Cola de mono" - an alcoholic drink with sugar, coffee, milk, and cinnamon. Chileans dress up a Christmas tree, decorating it with luminous garlands, artificial snow, and a manger symbolizing the birth of Christ. Viejito Pascuero put presents for kids under the Christmas tree. On the night of December 25, Chileans attend mass.

On December 31, the whole country is in anticipation of the New Year. On the night of January 1, the grandest New Year fireworks in Latin America are launched from Valparaiso Beach. Thousands of people gather in the hills to watch this spectacular event. There are also fireworks in other cities. Celebrants wish each other happiness and drink champagne from glasses with gold rings at the bottom - according to local beliefs, this brings good luck for the next year. There are other common New Year traditions. For example, to attract good luck, it is recommended to wear yellow underwear and eat lentils. Chileans put money in their shoes hoping to attract wealth, burn notes with all bad things that happened in the past year, eat 12 grapes - one for each clock strike, some people celebrate with suitcases to earn travel opportunities in the new year.

Valdivian Week has been celebrated in the south of Chile since February 9th. This holiday is dedicated to the founding of the city of Valdivia in 1552. Graceful ships decorated with garlands float along the countless rivers of this land, then fireworks are launched. The annual Tapati Festival has been held at the beginning of February on mysterious Easter Island for 40 years. People celebrate the culture of indigenous people by wearing traditional costumes, painting their bodies, competing in canoeing, dancing, and remembering local legends and myths. The Carnavalón Festival also falls on February. Carnavalón is an ancient symbol of happiness, and its symbolic resurrection takes place at this festival. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Grape Harvest Festival in March is a holiday of wonderful Chilean wine with a beautiful parade and blessing of the first portion of crushed grapes. May 21 is Navy Day when Chileans honor the memory of the Captain Arturo Prat, a national hero of the War of the Pacific. Residents of coastal towns throw flowers into the sea. From June 12 to 17, the Virgen del Carmen Festival is held in the Atacama Desert, La Tirana. It's a carnival with creepy costumes, songs, and dances for driving out evil spirits.

The indigenous peoples of Chile begin celebrating the New Year during the winter solstice - on the night of June 24 when they celebrate the life cycle of the Sun and all living things. The holiday is celebrated mainly in rural areas. And on June 29, fishermen, clam diggers and all those working in the sea celebrate the Festival of San Pedro. After prayers, dancing begins on the ship. Independence Day is celebrated on September 18. There is a river of wine, tables groaning with food, parades, dancing and singing people.

Music festivals with the participation of local and foreign musicians are common in Chile too. One of these festivals is the world-famous "Lollapalooza" also held in Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, and North America. Such popular performers as Foo Fighters, Cypress Hill, Nine Inch Nails, Eminem, and many others performed at the Chilean Festival, which has been held here in April or March since 2011. The Musical Weeks classical music festival has been organized in Frutillar in January-February for more than 40 years. Musicians from all over the world perform here every year. The Viña del Mar International Song Festival was first held in the city of Viña del Mar lying on the Pacific coast in 1960. Tom Jones, Sting, Elton John, and other stars performed here in different years.