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The culture of Paraguay reflects the Spanish and indigenous influences of the country.
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
's cultural heritage can be traced to the extensive intermarriage between the original male Spanish settlers and indigenous
Guaraní Guarani, Guaraní or Guarany may refer to Ethnography * Guaraní people, an indigenous people from South America's interior (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia) * Guaraní language, or Paraguayan Guarani, an official language of Paraguay * ...
women. Their culture is highly influenced by various European countries, including Spain. Therefore, Paraguayan culture is a fusion of two cultures and traditions; one European, the other, Southern Guaraní. More than 93% of Paraguayans are ''
mestizos (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed European and Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturally European even though their ...
'', making 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 might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
and the indigenous language,
Guaraní Guarani, Guaraní or Guarany may refer to Ethnography * Guaraní people, an indigenous people from South America's interior (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia) * Guaraní language, or Paraguayan Guarani, an official language of Paraguay * ...
.
Jopara Jopara () or Yopará () is a colloquial form of Guarani spoken in Paraguay which uses a number of Spanish loan words. Its name is from the Guarani word for "mixture".Britton, A. Scott (2004). ''Guarani-English/English-Guarani Concise Dictionary' ...
, a 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 '' guaranias'' is played on the native harp. Paraguay's culinary heritage is also deeply influenced by this cultural fusion. Several popular dishes contain
manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...
, a local staple crop similar to the
yuca ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...
also known as Cassava root found in the
Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
and
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, as well as other indigenous ingredients. A popular dish is ''
sopa paraguaya Sopa paraguaya is a traditional food of the Paraguayan cuisine similar to corn bread. Corn flour, cheese, onion and milk or whey are common ingredients. It is a spongy cake rich in caloric and protein content. Sopa is similar to another corn-base ...
'', similar to a thick
corn bread Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are st ...
. Another notable food is ''
chipa Chipa (, ) is a type of small, baked, cheese-flavored rolls, a popular snack and breakfast food in Paraguay. The recipe has existed since the 18th century and its origins lie with the Guaraní people of Asunción. It is inexpensive and often sold f ...
'', a
bagel A bagel ( yi, בײגל, translit=beygl; pl, bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into a roughly hand-sized ring from yeasted wheat dough that is first ...
-like bread made from
cornmeal Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) or a cell membrane ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', ...
, 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 were the time of the birth of a new generation of Paraguayan novelists and poets such as
José Ricardo Mazó José Ricardo Mazó (Pilar, 1927- Asunción, 1987), the Paraguayan poet, was born in Pilar, in the department of Ñeembucúbr> He was a member of the Literary Academy of theCollege of San Joséand of the Paraguayan Academia Universitaria. After ...
,
Roque Vallejos Roque Vallejos (Asunción 1943 - Asunción, 2 April 2006) 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 Len ...
, and Nobel Prize nominee
Augusto Roa Bastos Augusto Roa Bastos (13 June 1917 – 26 April 2005) was a Paraguayan novelist and short story writer. 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 have been made. Inside the family, conservative values predominate. In lower classes,
godparent In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelon ...
s 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.


Guarani Jesuit Missions

Paraguay was in its maximum extension the old Paraguayan Province, a Jesuit administration belonging to the
Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...
and whose clerical capital was the city of Córdoba. During the 17th and 18th centuries, 30 reductions were built in this province, which are currently distributed in three countries: 8 in
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
, 15 in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and 7 in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. In 1609 the first reduction of San Ignacio Guazú was created, and since then, the other towns were rising, subdivided into 23 Western Missions (in southern Paraguay and in the current provinces of
Misiones Misiones (, ''Missions'') is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes P ...
and
Corrientes Corrientes (; Guaraní language, Guaraní: Taragüí, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the Provinces of Argentina, province of Corrientes Province, Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from ...
) and the 7 Eastern Missions in southwest Brazil. The Jesuits were expelled in 1768, reason why the towns entered decay and their settlers were in need of migrating to other areas of Paraguay, Misiones and Corrientes. In these places there are still vestiges of its architectural and urban structure. Since the Spanish-Guaraní syncretism, the Guaraní Jesuit missions laid the foundations for the Guaraní alphabet and literature,
Paraguayan cuisine The cuisine of Paraguay is the set of dishes and culinary techniques of Paraguay. It has a marked influence of the Guaraní people, in fusion with the Spanish cuisine and other marked influences coming from the immigration received by bordering ...
, Paraguayan music and other arts. In terms of literary creation, musical composition, regional gastronomy and the entire amalgam of Paraguayan artistic expressions, the arts learned in the missions continued to evolve along with contributions from other immigrants from the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century. Among the cultural reminiscences transmitted by Jesuits-Guaraníes, both tangible and intangible, are the
Paraguayan harp The Paraguayan harp is the national instrument of Paraguay, and similar instruments are used elsewhere in South America, particularly Venezuela. It is a diatonic harp with 32, 36, 38 or 40, 42 or 46 strings, made from tropical wood, pine and c ...
,
Paraguayan polka Paraguayan polka, also known as danza paraguaya (Paraguayan dance), is a style of music created in Paraguay in the 19th century. The Paraguayan polka is very different from the traditional polka, mainly because the Paraguayan version combines ...
, consumption of
yerba mate Yerba mate or yerba-maté (''Ilex paraguariensis''; from Spanish ; pt, erva-mate, or ; gn, ka'a, ) is a plant species of the holly genus ''Ilex'' native to South America. It was named by the French botanist Augustin Saint-Hilaire. The leave ...
, starch and corn-based foods such as
chipa Chipa (, ) is a type of small, baked, cheese-flavored rolls, a popular snack and breakfast food in Paraguay. The recipe has existed since the 18th century and its origins lie with the Guaraní people of Asunción. It is inexpensive and often sold f ...
and
Chipa Guasu The chipa guasu is a cake made with corn grains, onions and Paraguayan cheese. It is one of 70 varieties of ''chipa'', a traditional set of side dishes from Paraguay. It is often served in asados. History Some revisionist historians point out ...
, the Guaraní language that achieved its status as a regulated language and which is one of the official languages of Paraguay thanks to it. Two of the eight Paraguayan reductions were declared
UNESCO World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. Both towns are in
Itapúa Department Itapúa () is a department in the southern region of Paraguay. The capital is the city of Encarnación. It is divided into 30 districts, more than any other district in the country. History This department was created after the breakup of the ...
, in the ruins of Jesús and
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
, located about 50 km from the departmental capital Encarnación. The Jesús de Tavarangüé Mission complements the tourist circuit with the projection of a 3D video mapping. The intention is that visitors can connect directly with the history of the creation and development of the 30 towns founded by the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
. The 3D mapping recreates the activities and the evangelizing work of Jesuit people and the large history of these missions.


Philosophy

French philosophical theories became popular with Latin American intellectuals as the
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
was coming to an end.
Arturo Ardao Arturo Ardao (Minas, Lavalleja, 27 September 1912 – Montevideo, 22 September 2003) was a Uruguayan philosopher and historian of ideas. From 1968 to 1972 he was dean of the Faculty of Humanities. Before the Military Coup in 1973, he was forced ...
mentions that Condillac was held in high regard by the people of Paraguay. After becoming independent, the new republics founded universities and hired teachers from Europe who spread rationalist ideals. Among Paraguayan scholars of the early 19th century were the physicians and .


Sports

Sport in Paraguay is an important part of the country's national culture.
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is the most popular sport, and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
is also very popular. Other sports such as
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
,
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hardcourt, hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and Indoor soccer, indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players ...
,
swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
and
tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
are also popular. Additional Paraguayan sports and pastimes include
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
,
chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
,
motorsport Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
,
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
and
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
.


See also

* Music of Paraguay *
Cinema of Paraguay The cinema of Paraguay has historically been small. However, this has begun to change in recent years with films like ''El Toque del Oboe'' (1998); ''María Escobar'' (2002); ''O Amigo Dunor'' (2005), which competed for Best Movie in the Rotterda ...
*
Paraguayan cuisine The cuisine of Paraguay is the set of dishes and culinary techniques of Paraguay. It has a marked influence of the Guaraní people, in fusion with the Spanish cuisine and other marked influences coming from the immigration received by bordering ...
* List of Paraguayans *
Paraguayan Spanish Paraguayan Spanish ( es, español paraguayo) is the set of dialects of the Spanish language spoken in Paraguay. In addition, it influences the speech of the Argentine provinces of Misiones, Corrientes, Formosa, and, to a lesser extent, Chaco. ...


References


Bibliography

* La Filosofía en el Paraguay. Raúl Amaral (2010). {{DEFAULTSORT:Culture Of Paraguay