Everyday culture

Greetings and address

The greeting

In informal settings a single kiss on the cheek is common between women, and between a man and a woman; between men it is usually a handshake. In work settings or with strangers, a handshake is always safe.

Tú and usted

First-name informality spreads fast, but with older people or in formal dealings usted remains usual until the other person signals otherwise.

Rhythms and punctuality

Lunch usually falls between one and three, and dinner considerably later than in many other countries. For work appointments or transport, punctuality is expected. For a social invitation to someone's home, arriving a few minutes late is common and not read as rude; arriving early, on the other hand, can be awkward.

Tipping and money

In table-service restaurants the bill often includes a suggested tip, which can be accepted, adjusted or declined without friction. At counter service, on buses or in taxis it is not an expectation. Carrying some cash remains useful outside the cities.

Fiestas Patrias

The 18th and 19th of September are irrenunciable and the whole country is on the move. It is a good time to see ramadas and traditional food, and a bad time to improvise transport or accommodation: everything gets booked weeks ahead.

Regional diversity and Indigenous peoples

Chile is not culturally homogeneous. Customs in the Andean north, the centre, the Mapuche south, Chiloé and Patagonia differ from one another, and Indigenous communities — Mapuche, Aymara, Rapa Nui and others — have their own history, language and relationship with the land. Visiting their places calls for the same attitude as anywhere: ask before photographing people or ceremonies, and do not treat living culture as an attraction.