Having spent most of my life living in South America, I have grown to love the culture in the Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. The Latin American culture is a beautiful and artistically diverse style that can be found in every one of the countries. However, while the overarching culture of being Latin American is seen everywhere, so are the differences between each country.
The differences in the Spanish language are the first thing that comes to mind when talking about the cultural differences in Latin America. Each country has its own style and tone when using Spanish. For example, the Colombian style of Spanish has a sung style when spoken; however the Chilean type of Spanish is spoken choppy and fast. These stylistic language elements are just the surface cultural differences, however.
The next major cultural difference is food. Each country has its own unique flavor. For example, cuisine from Peru relies heavily on fish, because of its close proximity to the ocean. Lima, Peru’s capital, is experiencing an increased amount of tourism over recent years simply due to the demand for Peruvian food. Meanwhile, Argentinian cuisine is renowned for its use of steak and continues to be known as one of the best countries for meat in the world.
The biggest culture shock in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America is by far the act of greeting other people. While common practice in the U.S. is to shake hands when you greet someone, the Latin American way is a lot more personal: you kiss cheeks. In all Spanish speaking Latin American countries, it is common practice for men to kiss women and women to kiss women on the (usually right) cheek as a greeting. In most of these countries, men to men will still use the handshake greeting. However, in Argentina and Uruguay, men will also kiss men on the cheek when saying hello. These cultural differences may seem a tad odd at first when adjusting to South American culture, however, after giving yourself a few weeks to adjust, it becomes second nature!
Now that you know some of the cultural differences in Latin America, which country would you like to visit and why? Let us know in the comments below!
