Greetings and Gestures in Argentina
Kisses, Drinking Mate, and Gigantic Barbecues; Argentinians are passionate about the best things in life!
By Cecilia Camarero
If you ask me a word to define someone from Argentina, it would be passionate. We are nothing but passionate about everything we do! This trait is present in our everyday lives and mostly when greeting someone.
Being an Ambassador Teacher from Argentina in the USA has broadened my cultural perspective and has made me reflect on my own cultural heritage. In general, Argentinians are passionate about soccer and food and are very social people.
Greet with a Kiss… Always!
Did you know that even when we meet someone for the first time, we give that person a hug and a kiss on the cheek? If you get to a crowded place you do not wait for the host to introduce yourself, you do it for yourself! And of course, everyone should receive a kiss. This is a cultural behavior that is considered appropriate and it would be rude if you would not do it. To greet everyone as a group would be more impersonal.
Drinking Mate -A bonding experience
Sharing Mate is about more than just the drink!
“Mate is all about the warm tradition of gathering together and sharing some time with friends and a favorite drink”
You will recognize an Argentinian from just looking at him/her because you would most probably see the person with a beverage called “Mate”. Mate is a traditional drink that you prepare with leaves called “yerba”. You add hot water and sip it with a special straw that has a filter on the end. It tastes like tea, but I would say it is more about the warm tradition of gathering together and sharing some time with friends and a favorite drink. While living in Argentina, I would say to my friends, “Put the kettle on the fire so that I will stop by your house”. It is very common to visit your family and friends without any previous arrangements to have mate together. And “Yes! we share the same straw”. During Covid, this changed a little bit because we could not share the same mate, however, nowadays the sharing tradition has gone back to normal.
Our Sunday dinners are not just a meal; they are a chance to get together with friends and family and socialize!
“Che ”
If you travel to Argentina, it is important to note that you will listen to people saying “Che” meaning “Hey”and “vos” instead of “tú” for the word “you”. There are many language variations that are unique to Argentinians and it would be tricky to understand: “Che, vos poné la pava que ya (sha) paso por unos mates 🧉” Also, the change in pronunciation of the ‘y’ and ‘ll’ sounds into a ‘sh’ is uniquely heard in Argentina and Uruguay. This dialect is called “yeísmo”. An example is when pronouncing the animal ‘llama’, Argentinians would say “shama”!
I dare to say that my dad is the best cook in the world!
Asado and long tables every weekend
Another interesting feature that characterizes Argentinians is gathering at their traditional long tables most every Sunday with the exquisite and very well-known “asado”. Asado is a barbecue cooked on the ground with a grill called a “parrilla” over a wood fire. I dare to say that my dad is the best cook in the world! Our Sunday dinners are not just a meal; they are a chance to get together with friends and family and socialize. Any excuse is welcome to meet every weekend.
Merienda
Last but not least, Argentinians have four important meals during the day: breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner, the latter being between 9 pm and 11 pm. This was one of the hardest transitions I had to make when I came to the USA because dinner is at the time I usually have merienda!
Señora Camarero loves sharing Argentine culture with her students!
Being an Ambassador Teacher in the USA has been a two way enriching experience and I am excited to be a little piece of Argentina in my classroom and cultures. I teach Spanish but most importantly I teach what comes with the language which is its culture and traditions to celebrate these differences and build global bridges and. I strongly believe that this is my mission as a teacher!
Ceci’s family represents Argentina in the US!
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Cecilia Camarero graduated from Comahue University in 2008 as an English Teacher and has taught at numerous Public and Private Schools in her hometown, Cipolletti-Río Negro. She is currently an Ambassador Exchange Teacher with Participate Learning in the USA and she is teaching Spanish at Ligon Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is the Head of the World Language Department in her school and was named 2023-24 Participate Learning Teacher of the Year. She is part of the Curriculum Writing Team for World Languages-Spanish in Wake County Public School System. She has presented sessions at Professional Developments in her school community and at various conferences across North Carolina about “Culturally ResponsiveTeaching, Global Learning and Teaching and Project Based Learning”. She has also co-facilitated Orientation Training for new Ambassador Teachers in the USA and been a Connections Coordinator and Mentor. She is all about uniting our world through global learning, providing meaningful opportunities for students to use the language for real communication and developing durable skills in her students.
