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Culture
Culture
With one of the most homogeneous populations in Latin America, Paraguayans' cultural ancestry can be traced to the extensive intermarriage among the original male Spanish settlers and female indigenous, Guaraní, brides.
Paraguayan culture therefore is a fusion of two cultures and traditions: one European, the other Guaraní.
More than 80% of Paraguayans are mestizos, and this makes Paraguay one of the most homogeneous countries in Latin America.
A characteristic of this cultural fusion is the extensive bilingualism present to this day: more than 80% of Paraguayans speak both Spanish and the indigenous language, Guaraní.
Jopará, the mixture of Guaraní and Spanish, is also widely spoken, although it is prevalent in the urban areas.
This cultural fusion is expressed in arts such as embroidery (ao po'í) and lace making (ñandutí).
The music, which consists of lilting polkas, bouncy galopas, and languid guaranías is played on the native harp.
Paraguay's culinary heritage is also deeply influenced by this cultural fusion.
Several popular dishes contain mandioca, a local staple crop similar to the yuca root found in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, and other indigenous ingredients.
A popular dish is sopa paraguaya, similar to a thick corn bread.
Another notable food is chipa, a bagel-like bread made from cornmeal, mandioca and cheese.
Many other dishes consists of different kinds of cheeses, onions, bell peppers, cottage cheese, yellow cornmeal, milk, seasonings, butter, eggs and fresh corn kernels.
In addition to food, Paraguayan culture also centers around social drinks called mate and terere.
Mate is the hot version of the beverage, and Terere is the cold version.
Both drinks are made with yerba mate.
Social life revolves largely around an extended family of parents, children and blood relations as well as godparents.
The Paraguayans' chief loyalty is to their family, and it, in turn, is their haven and support.
Family interests determine to a large extent which political party they will join, to whom they will marry, what sort of job they will get, whether they will win a lawsuit, and—in some cases—whether they would be wise to emigrate for a time.
Even so, they are very heart warming and open to tourists and foreigners.
Inside the family, conservative values predominate.
In lower classes, godparents have a special relationship to the family, since usually they are chosen because of their favorable social position, in order to provide extra security for the children.
Particular respect is owed them, in return for which the family can expect protection and patronage.
In higher classes, however, godparents are usually family members or family friends, thus being chosen is more of an honor than a serious commitment.[citations needed] .
The 1950s and 1960s saw the flowering of a new generation of Paraguayan novelists and poets such as José Ricardo Mazó, Roque Vallejos, and Nobel Prize nominee Augusto Roa Bastos.
Several Paraguayan films have been made.
Guinness World Record, barbecue
Mercosur country member Paraguay, on October 26, 2008, received the Guinness World Record "Biggest Barbecue in the World" record award from Judge Ralph Hannah.
In the world's largest one day open-air barbecue, 30,000 people consumed 28 kilo tons of meat over 6 hours course in the Mariano Roque Alonso town-ship, at Asuncion.
It erased the 1996 Philadelphia previous record, an 8-hour chow of 21.7 kilo tons.
Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia
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