VENEZUELA+-+Culture

Culture of Venezuela
Venezuela culture is a mixture of mainly three cultures: Indigenous, African and Spanish. The indigenous part is mostly found in the typical food and in the vocabulary (many places names). The capital Caracas is named after a tribe that lived there. The African influence is seen in the food, dancing, language and musical instruments like drums. The Spanish influence was the biggest one of the three and can be seen in the religion, language, architecture, music, and food. The fact that baseball is the national sport shows the influence that the United States has had on their culture also.

Venezuela has a population of 25 million, 85 percent of them live in urban areas. Venezuela is the most urbanized country in South America. Before they found oil, Venezuela was a very poor country and most of the people lived out in the rural areas. After oil was found Venezuela became one of the wealthiest countries in South America. Now Venezuela is one of the top producers of oil and most people live in the cities but some people still live in the country.


 * Festivals and Holidays**

Some of the holidays celebrated by Venezuela are: Navidad (Christmas) on December 24th; Ario Neuvo (New Year's) on January 1st; Dia del Trabajador (Labor Day) on May 1st; Batalla de Carabobo (Carabobo's Battle) on June 24th; Dia de la Independencia (Independence Day) on July 5th; and Natalicio del Libertador Simon Bolivar (Simon Bolivar's Birthday) on July 24th. They celebrate by holding festivals which are like carnivals in the streets. They decorate with lots of flowers and there is music, parades and dancing. The week before Holy Week is called Semana Santa and is a time that lots of families go on vacation.


 * Language**

Language is another important part of Venezuela culture. The national language is Spanish and is spoken by almost all. English is the second language and high school students have to take it as a class. Other social groups or tribes speak their own languages and there are more than thirty kinds. Venezuela has many unique sayings and words in Spanish that other countries do not. They have changed the language a little to make it different than other countries.


 * Religion**

Religion is the base of Venezuela culture. 96% of Venezuelans are Roman Catholic; their temple is called Mark Dinneen. Most of these Catholics do not attend services. The Alter is a popular religious icon in Sorte. Religion can be seen in history and culture in Venezuela in music, art and literature. Protestant faith is growing in Venezuela but is still a very small part.

Food and Drink
There are many fruits available in Venezuela. Mango, papaya, avocado, oranges, bananas, coconuts, passion fruit, melon, pineapple, guava are just a few. The national dish is made of shredded beef, black beans and cheese and is served with fried banana and rice. Their snacks and food dishes mainly consist of pancakes, chicken, pork, beef, soups and stews. Common meat dishes are fried and grilled fish and meats that are served with rice. Beef and Chicken are most popular but they also eat goat and baby shark. Coffee is produced in Venezuela so it is the most popular hot drink. Sugar cane is mixed with lemon and fresh coconut milk is available. Beer and Rum are commonly found and Rum with Coke is a favorite drink among Venezuelans. Some traditional dishes are: Arepa - a fried corn pancake that you can fill with almost anything from eggs to salad; Cachito - a hot crossant filled with ham and cheese; and Hallaca - a traditional Christmas dish made from beef, pork and chicken with green peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes, raisins, olives and spices all mixed into a corn dough wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

Arts of Venezuela
Early art was rock carvings and cave paintings. Religion was the topic of most of the art that came next in what was called the colonial era. After Venezuela got its independence the history of the country was shown in a lot of the art. You see a lot of cowboys (or llaneros) in pictures. Current art in the country has been modern and one type is known as Kinetic art. There are many art museums in the city of Caracas.

Music is often played at celebrations. Instruments that are popular are drums, guitar, maracas, and harps.Venezuelian music is based on strong drum rhythms. Jacopo is the national dance but the salsa and the merengue are the most popular dance styles.

Venezuela is not known for its literature but does have prominent writers within the country.

Architecture
When Spain "discovered" Venezuela they did not think it was worth very much as a colony. Because of this the Spanish did not build many fancy Spanish architectural buildings like they did in the other South American colonies like Peru or Columbia. Their churches and houses were and are simple and built in a Spanish style. Venezuela is known for its more modern architecture. The strong ties with the United States in the mid 1900's and the discovery of oil, which created wealth for development is what influenced modernism. Much of this money was put into the city of Caracas and is now known as one of the most modern cities in the world.


 * Conclusion**

Venezuela is one of the most urbanized countries in South America. Even though it started out with a lot of wars, dictatorships and hard times, Venezueleans are festive, fun-loving and courteous people. They value their families and their religion. They have kept a lot of the Spanish influences from their beginning but have added a lot of their own influences to their culture and have made it very unique.