The 5 Argentine customs that most surprise foreigners

What to us is everyday to another may seem like behavior from another planet. Thus, those   customs  that we bring from the cradle, often, displace those who come to visit us from other latitudes. Above all, when they see us interact in social meetings - between friends, football colleagues, work or family - where our argentinity is more noticeable than ever. Today we want to tell you what are the  5 Argentine customs  that surprise foreigners most.

1) Our way of greeting

 Kisses , hugs, claps on the back: the Argentine is warm with his  friends , with simple acquaintances and even complete strangers. Here we greet the doorman of the building with a  kiss  , all our coworkers and even the doctor. Between men and between  women . The situations in which we opt for a more distant greeting, such as shaking hands, are counted. It can be at a business meeting or a bank procedure and, in general, it is more common in older adults. But, in most cases, the Argentine will approach as if he knew you all his life. This is not common in other cultures, but we don't care: we print a kiss on anyone, even if we've never seen it before.

2) Matte

  Mate  , by itself, is a rather peculiar infusion. But even more so is the way we take it: every day, at all times, round and sharing the same  bulb . This last detail scandalizes more than one foreigner, but in the long run everyone surrenders and tries it. It usually happens that at first the taste is strong, bitter - if they are touched by a fundamentalist primer who does not conceive matte with sugar- or even ugly. But it is very common to see how our tourists friends get excited and end up buying mate, bulb and yerba to carry this custom with them back to their country.

3) Our conversations... and our interruptions

We're  charlatans , that's true. We engage in conversations anywhere, with anyone. But there is something that is even more striking: we don't talk, we just wait our turn to talk. Finishing an idea without being   interrupted  is almost a feat in our country. Sometimes, parallel  minicharlas are opened in the  same talk. We are diverting the conversation by so many interruptions, jokes and points of view that, moreover, are not necessarily related to the main topic. If it is hard for us to follow the thread of a conversation between Argentines, imagine a foreigner!

4) Our obsession with roast

When foreigners come to visit family or friends in  Argentina , they probably have four   roasts      in the same week. It's just that roast is our way of entertaining and celebrating. It is, too, the basis of our diet. Roasted everywhere and for any reason: that is another of the  Argentine customs  that most surprise foreigners. And, as with mate, they end up loving it.

5) Impunctuality

In  Argentina  we have a rather peculiar concept of  punctuality  . Beyond that there are really unpunished people (and really punctual people, of course), for the common people, about 15 or 20 minutes of delay is something perfectly tolerable. And even more so, if it is a social gathering. If we get “ type 9 ” together, it means people will start  to fall from  that hour, but by no means will everyone be present at 9 o'clock. It is likely, even, that the host of the meeting will not be ready for the scheduled time because he knows that no one will arrive on time.