I suppose we all believe that the food cooked for our mother is the better in the world, and I think this. My children memory is that in the Fiestas Patrias my mom cooked delicious “empanadas de pino” fried. I remember that I could to eat six or seven “empanadas” in the lunch, and after I could to continue eating and not to quench my appetite.   

I hated the traditional activities, because were obligatory in the school: dance “cueca”, play “carrera en sacos” and others activities. It was very boring.

The last year I have observed a curious thing. In my city, Linares, the typical songs that the people listen all year (especially in the Fiestas Patrias) are “rancheras” or “cumbia”, and not “cueca”, or “cueca chora”. The curious thing is that the people of Santiago when dance “cueca chora” they feel the Chilean character run through their veins (that doesn’t avoid that this persons to eat sushi or that they think to be Chilean is to speak with expletives). The truth is that this dance is locked in a little university circle and not representing to other people.

My second memory (pleasant) of “Fiestas Patrias” is my grandmother sitting over the vid listening olds “rancheras” (for example authors like Antonio Aguilar), her eating stew with excess of pepper, with the sight lost in the planting. I enjoyed because…how not enjoy that!!