Culture of Paraguay
Encyclopedia
Paraguay
ans' cultural ancestry can be traced to the extensive intermarriage
between the original male Spanish settlers and female indigenous Guaraní brides. Paraguayan culture therefore is a fusion of two things cultures and traditions: one European, the other Southern Guaraní. More than 93% 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
. Jopara
, the mixture of Guaraní and Spanish, is also widely spoken.
This cultural fusion is expressed in arts such as embroidery (ao po'í) and lace making
(ñandutí). The music of Paraguay
, 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 manioc, a local staple crop similar to the yuca root found in the Southwestern United States
and Mexico
, as well as 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, manioc, and cheese. Many other dishes consist of different kinds of cheeses, onions, bell peppers, cottage cheese, cornmeal
, milk, seasonings, butter, eggs and fresh corn kernels.
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.
Social life revolves largely around an extended family
of parent
s, children and blood relations as well as godparent
s. 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.
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.
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
ans' cultural ancestry can be traced to the extensive intermarriage
Interracial marriage
Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. This is a form of exogamy and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation .-Legality of interracial marriage:In the Western world certain jurisdictions have had regulations...
between the original male Spanish settlers and female indigenous Guaraní brides. Paraguayan culture therefore is a fusion of two things cultures and traditions: one European, the other Southern Guaraní. More than 93% 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
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and the indigenous language, Guaraní
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
. Jopara
Jopará
Jopará The majority of Paraguayans, particularly younger ones, speak some form of jopará.Since 1992, under the Paraguay's Ministry of Education and Culture Act, Guaraní in its "pure form" — different from the day-to-day speech of jopará — has been taught in schools...
, the mixture of Guaraní and Spanish, is also widely spoken.
Ñandutí
Ñandutí is a traditional Paraguayan embroidered lace, introduced by the Spaniards, that is related to Teneriffe lace. The name means "spider web" in Guaraní, the official, indigenous language of Paraguay.-External links:-More information:...
(ñandutí). The music of Paraguay
Music of Paraguay
-Folk music:The Paraguayan polka combines ternary and binary rhythms, where as the European only uses binary. The most famous style of music is the Guarania, created by the Paraguayan musician José Asunción Flores in 1925. The Guarania accomplishes this by using a combination of slow rhythms and...
, which consists of lilting polkas, bouncy galopas, and languid guaranías
Guarania (music)
Guarania is a style of music created in Paraguay by musician José Asunción Flores in 1925 with the purpose of expressing the character of the Paraguayan people...
is played on the native harp. Paraguay's culinary heritage is also deeply influenced by this cultural fusion. Several popular dishes contain manioc, a local staple crop similar to the yuca root found in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, as well as other indigenous ingredients. A popular dish is sopa paraguaya, similar to a thick corn bread. Another notable food is chipa, a bagel
Bagel
A bagel is a bread product, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior...
-like bread made from cornmeal, manioc, and cheese. Many other dishes consist of different kinds of cheeses, onions, bell peppers, cottage cheese, cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
, milk, seasonings, butter, eggs and fresh corn kernels.
The 1950s and 1960s saw the flowering of a new generation of Paraguayan novelists and poets such as José Ricardo Mazó
José Ricardo Mazó
José Ricardo Mazó , the Paraguayan poet, was born in Pilar, in the department of Ñeembucú . He was a member of the Literary Academy of the and of the Paraguayan Academia Universitaria...
, Roque Vallejos
Roque Vallejos
Roque Vallejos was a poet, psychiatrist and essayist from Paraguay.-Background:He was a forensic surgeon in the High Court of Justice.He served as a member and the president of the Academia de la Lengua Paraguaya....
, and Nobel Prize nominee Augusto Roa Bastos
Augusto Roa Bastos
Augusto Roa Bastos, was a noted Paraguayan novelist and short story writer, and one of the most important Latin American writers of the 20th century. As a teenager he fought in the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia, and he later worked as a journalist, screenwriter and professor...
. Several Paraguayan films
Cinema of Paraguay
The Cinema of Paraguay is small, however this has begun to change in recent years with films like El Toque del Oboe , María Escobar , O Amigo Dunor which competed for Best Movie in the Rotterdam International Film Festival, and Hamaca Paraguaya , which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival,...
have been made.
Social life revolves largely around an extended family
Extended family
The term extended family has several distinct meanings. In modern Western cultures dominated by nuclear family constructs, it has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not. However, it may also refer...
of parent
Parent
A parent is a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child . Children can have one or more parents, but they must have two biological parents. Biological parents consist of the male who sired the child and the female who gave birth to the child...
s, children and blood relations as well as godparent
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
s. 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
Emigrate
Emigrate is a heavy metal band based in New York, led by Richard Z. Kruspe, the lead guitarist of the German band Rammstein.-History:Kruspe started the band in 2005, when Rammstein decided to take a year off from touring and recording...
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.
Guinness World Record, barbecue
MercosurMercosur
Mercosur or Mercosul is an economic and political agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people,...
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
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
, 30,000 people consumed 28 kilo tons of meat over 6 hours course in the Mariano Roque Alonso
Mariano Roque Alonso
Mariano Roque Alonso is a district and city located in the Central Department, in Paraguay in the Gran Asunción metropolitan area. The city has a population of 85,000 people....
town-ship, at Asuncion
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
. It erased the 1996 Philadelphia previous record, an 8-hour chow of 21.7 kilo tons.