Fiestas Patrias

The Dieciocho

Chileans call their national holidays simply the Dieciocho, “the eighteenth”. The 18th commemorates the First Governing Junta of 18 September 1810, the start of the independence process, and the 19th honours the glories of the army. Both are among the country’s five mandatory public holidays, and flying the Chilean flag on all public and private buildings is compulsory. Because they fall close to the southern spring equinox, the holidays double as a spring festival, and many Chileans travel to visit family or head to the coast.

The celebrations are an expression of chilenidad, Chilean identity. People dance the cueca, the national dance, and gather in fondas or ramadas, temporary venues with folk music and dance, traditional food and drink.

Te Deum and parade

Four official events mark the holidays. On the Sunday before, the Union of Evangelical Churches holds a thanksgiving service; on the 18th the Catholic Church leads the Ecumenical Te Deum, a tradition begun in 1811 and opened to other faiths at President Salvador Allende’s request in 1971. On the 19th the President, as commander-in-chief, reviews the Great Military Parade in Santiago’s O’Higgins Park, broadcast live and watched by millions — the finale of the holidays.