PEOPLE AND DAILY LIFE IN ARGENTINA
Olivia Watt
2013
� FOOD AND OTHER TRADITIONS IN ARGENTINA
Daily Life in
Argentina
Getting up close and personal with the people of Argentina and Experiencing the life of an Argentinian.
People and Daily Life in Argentina
Daily life in Argentina’ s cities is much like life in southern Europe: businesses open early and close for a break and midday, staying open throughout the evening. Meals are a way of being social in Argentina. The Argentine’ s diet is very filling in the sense that breakfast is generally a serving of three sweet rolls( medialunas) and French coffee, and like the Spanish, the Argentinians eat dinner after 9:00 pm, often featuring Italian dishes. There is also a dish consisting of beef cooked on the grill( parrilla), which is better to them than other meats. Argentina consumes more beef than any other nation except Uruguay, twice the amount as the United States. Buenos Aires is known
for its steakhouses( asados criollos. Maté, the tealike beverage brewed from yerba maté leaves, is popular in the countryside; it is either drank individually or shared with friends during social events. Argentina is one of the largest wine producers in the world, and its red wines are highly prized, though most production goes toward supplying high domestic consumption.
HOLIDAYS and TRADITIONS
• Most Argentines follow the Roman Catholic calendar of holidays, with Christmas and Easter. San Martin Day( August 17), Venticinco de Mayo( May 25, the anniversary of the revolution of 1810), and Nueve de Julio( July 9, Independence Day) are among the national holidays. There are also festivals, including the Fiesta del Milagros(“ Miracle Festival”) in Salta, commemorating an earthquake in September 1692, the celebration on July 6 of the founding of Córdoba, and the wine festival in Mendoza in March.