Language of Argentina

 Most of the Argentines speak Spanish, thus they’ve decided to give the language a name they can call their own – “Castilian”. Castilian explains the region in Spain where the language originated from. The most prominent dialect is the Rioplatense, whose speakers are generally originated from the basin of Rio de la Plata.

Some of the indigenous languages still exist, such as the Guarani which is still being used in the northeast, especially Corrientes and Misiones.

According to a survey, there was about 1.5 million Italian speakers and 1 million Arabic speakers, but it is highly possible that the numbers have vastly reduced as newer generations adopt the Castilian.

The Indigenous people of Argentina

There are several groups of indigenous people in Argentina. Even though today many Argentines argue that their country’s indigenous population have gone into extinction, or on the verge to, these aboriginal people plays an important part in the history of Argentina.

Many of the indigenous people are categorised into different regions, such as the Chaco, La Pampa, Littoral and the Pattagonia region.

Chaco Region

This region was inhabited by the following indigenous group : 

Guaycurues: this group of people, consisting of the abipones, mbayaes, payaguaes, tobas and pilagaes, were basically wild fruit gatherers and hunters when not in the fishing season. 

Matacos/Wichis: given the name Matacos during the Spanish colonisation. They are the patagonido race with Andean and brasilido influence. Like the Guaycurues, their livelihood came from wild fruit gathering and fishing. Hemispheric dome huts are home to them while their diet consist of mainly meat, dried fish algarroba fruits and beans.

Chiriguanos: this group of people arrived in Chaco only in the 1500s, thus shared the same territory and culture with former Andean populations. Their job were mainly agriculture cultivation such as corn, beans and pumpkins.

La Pampa Region

Querandies: after the foundation of the city of Buenos Aires, the Querandies occupied the humid steppe of La Pampa. They were robust, dark skinned and lived under the leadership and commands of chiefs and leaders. Their basic diet consisted of fish, Andean deer, roots, fruits and lobsters. 

 

Littoral and Mesopotamia Region

Kaingang (AKA men of the forest): consisting of the Charruas, their economic organisations were based on wild fruit gathering, hunting and fishing. They lived in shelter made of braided vegetal fibres that were knitted to form saddle roof hut, with no walls. 

Guaranies: they formed villages in the open areas of the forest and developed a true tribal group for being economically independent from each other, and thus self sufficient. Have the ownerships of exclusive land, these people are usually farmers. Religious level was high in this tribe; the “shamans” have supernatural powers who have control over the population’s community actions.

The Patagonia Region

The indigenous people here inhabited the land of Patagonia thousands of years before the Spanish colonisation. 

Patagones of the North: the Tehuelches made up most this group. Due to the strong winds and extremely cold winters, agriculture was not made available to the people. They were mainly nomads, and hunted guanacos and ostriches for survivability.

Yamanas: they lived along the isles of Patagonia, and constructed homes out of branches for shelter. Diet consists of sea products, mainly mollusc, mussel, crayfish and snappers.

Traditions of Argentina

Like every country, Argentina has national day, annual holidays, and festive days that holds special meaning to every Argentine. We will now look at every one of these occasions and see what makes the traditions of the country so special.

On the 1st of January, the Argentines celebrate the Ano Nuevo, perhaps better known as the New Year Day to other parts of the world. The celebration is kick-started first with a family dinner followed by a midnight display of fireworks. A tradition the Argentines adopted is the eating of beans, which they believe will bless them to either keep their current job or get a better one. Working adults carry a suitcase and walk around their homes in hope that they will travel more throughout the year. 

Throughout the month of March and April, the El Carnaval del Pais, also known as the carnival season, is celebrated throughout Argentina. This massive celebration features live performances of all types. They also have a holy week the week before Easter, which re-enacts of Christ experiences take place. 

On the 2^nd of April, the Dia de las Malvinas, or the Malvinas Day commemorates the event where the Argentine army troops invaded the Falkland Islands in order to reclaim the land from the British. Even though up until today the land still does not fully belong to Argentina, they celebrate this day to honour the troops who put their lives at stake for the pride of Argentines.

On the 1^st of May, Argentina celebrates the Labour Day just like many other countries. Labour movements specially selected this day to fight for their rights by peacefully raising social awareness on the hectic 10-hours day of the workers in hope of a reduction, though it seems highly unlikely to date.

Perhaps the most important date for the country, the Argentines celebrate their National Day or the Independence Day on the 25^th of May. As stated in the name, Argentina gained independence from Spain on this historic date. With pride and solidarity roaming around the entire nation, the citizens of Argentina flood the country with parades, music, and traditional foods from each region. Most public transports are free for those travelling to the festivities. Between mid day and late evening the prestigious national anthem of the country will be played to further boost the emphatic day for the Argentines. 

Then come the 17^th of August, the entire nation commemorates the death of one man, who liberated Argentina in the 19^th century, Jose de San Martin.

Culture of Argentina

Argentina is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous capital city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous.

Argentina’s culture developed mainly from the immigrant population, mostly the Europeans. This has resulted in the dilution, or even demise, of the native cultures. 

-     Music

The symbol of the music scene in Argentina has to be tango. Tango, to most of the world, means the sexual dance, but in Argentina tango refers to the music, the lyrics, and also the dance itself. This form of music expresses the combination of many different groups – mainly the Africans, the indigenous and Spanish influences. It was originated from the lower-class neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires city. This generation of tango players are also known as the “Guardia Vieja”.

-     Football 

In the 1860s, football was introduced into the city of Buenos Aires by the British citizens. However, it was not only until 1920s that football gained popularity and rise to prominence after the deliberate promotion of the sports by the Argentine politicians.

In modern days, the word football in Argentina definitely associates with one man, Diego Maradona. The international top scorer has gone on to become the symbol of football in his country, with his famous “hand of god” incident that helped his country to knock out England in the 1986 World Cup tournament.

Food 

In terms of food, one culture that has developed in Argentina throughout the years is mate (pronounced mah-teh) drinking. Mate is served with a specially designed metal straw, known as the bombilla, in a gourd known as the mate. Yerba mate leaves are dried, chopped and grounded into a powdery mixture called yerba. Hot water is then added into the mate with the yerba, completing the drink. The bombilla is specially designed in a way where you can drink the mate without any of the yerba going through the straw; it serves as a straw and sieve. The yerba mate plant was cultivated in northern Argentina, giving rise to the now symbolised mate drinking.