Backtracking: Fiestas Patrias

As I mentioned briefly in a previous post September 18 is Chilean Independence Day, or "Las Fiestas Patrias." While Las Fiestas Patrias are a big deal every year, this year happened to be extra special because we were celebrating Chile's bicentennial! In 1810 Chile gained independence from Spain and all the people rejoiced and stopped speaking with a lisp. Today, we spent four days eating and drinking red wine and dancing! Specifically, we dance La Cueca, which is Chile's national dance, and which, I have to admit, I loathe. Compared with other latin dances it is just so... unsexy. Why not make Salsa the national dance? Or Rumba? Or Pachanga? Sadly, no one asked for my opinion on the matter, and so the last day of classes before the long weekend, our Spanish teachers insisted that we learn La Cueca. There is a short video below of Spanish class, followed by a longer video of my Chilean family dancing La Cueca at our Fiestas Patrias party, or "carrete". The last video is also from the carrete at our house. Check out abuelo in the green sweater in the back!