Holidays and traditions are abound throughout the world, and of course, it does not stop in Chile. Chileans are some of the most festive people I have come to know. I have experienced Christmas, New Year's, Halloween and many other little holidays here! However, the one that is uniquely Chilean is their patrimonial holiday, which is usually just called deiciocho. That translates to "18th", which is the date the holiday falls on, September 18th! However, despite the holiday falling on only one day, the celebration for it lasts for almost the entire month, depending on where you look!
Deiciocho is a holiday whose formal name is Fiesta Patrias de Chile, which translates to "homeland holidays". There are technically two separate holidays that consist of the celebrations, but most people lump them together. There is the 18th, which marks Chilean independence. Then, there is the 19th, which is the "Day of the Glories of the Army". It is a celebration of how strong and important the military is.
Numerous places all over Chile host community gatherings known as fondas. These are little festivals that have local businesses, Chilean food, entertaining events, local music, dancing and drinks that are regional to only Chile!
