The Fiestas Patrias is celebrated in Chile on September 18th to commemorate Chile’s independence from Spain. The next day is Armed Forces Day, which is also a national holiday. The festivities typically last for about a week and include a lot of drinking, dancing, Chilean food, parades and signs of patriotism, such as flag displays. Even though the Chileans celebrate their independence from Spain on this date, they did not officially gain independence until February 12, 1818; however, they still celebrate on this day because it was the first significant step towards Chile becoming an autonomous.
People celebrate the holiday in ramadas, which contain a dance floor and tables, as well as refreshment stands that offer traditional Chilean foods and alcoholic beverages. The ramadas are open air with thatched ceilings made from tree branches. Asados are also used to celebrate the holiday, where locals enjoy cooking food on open flames. Dance competitions are popular during the fiestas patrias; the most common dance is the cueca. Some typical foods are chichas, anticuchos, and empanadas.
Sources:
http://freshstartinchile.blogspot.com/2008/09/fiestas-patrias.html
http://www.joeskitchen.com/chile/culture/fiestaspatrias.htm
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/southamerica/a/ChileDieciocho.htm
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