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The Culture, Traditions, and Heritage of Paraguay

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Paraguay’s cultures and traditions are mixture of European and Guarani. As a result of the intermarriages between the male Spanish settlers with the indigenous Guarani females, over 90% of the country’s population is mestizos. Majority of the population are bilingual with over 80% able to speak both Spanish and Guarani; Jopara which is basically a mixture of Spanish and Guarani is also spoken by a majority of the population.

This cultural mixture is evident in the country’s art including its embroideries and making laces. Its music includes the polkas, galopas and guaranias. While the guaranias is popular in the cities it is not so in the rural areas where the preferred music is polkas or the music genre called Purahei Jahe’o.

Its culinary offerings also show the intermingling of cultures, manioc which is a local crop is included in several of the country’s famous dishes.

The 1950s and 60s produced several of the nation’s top novelist and poets including Roque Jose Ricardo Mazo and Augusto Roa Bastos who was nominated for a Nobel prize.

The Paraguayans are loyal and devoted to their family, in fact their social lives circles around their parents, children, and blood relations even godchildren which they can turn for protection and help in times of need.

It is also interesting to note that Paraguay is one of the few remaining places on earth where duel to the death is still legal although they can only be permitted to do so if both of the parties have registered themselves as organ donors first.