Chile is a late night society
Everything in Chile starts and finishes much later than in most English-speaking countries. Sleep seems to be an overrated option, not a necessity.
Going Out and Night Clubs
If you are invited to go out, expect little sleep. Get ready to go out late since the discos and pubs are still quietish around midnight. At 1am things just start to pick up and at about 2am is when things start getting interesting. At least it is not as bad as in Buenos Aires where things start around 4am.
By the way, the word ‘night club’ in Chile is used to refer to a strip joint. If you want to go to a place to dance and drink (like our night clubs), they are called discos here (sounds so 70s, doesn’t it?). When I first came to Chile I asked people that I knew if they wanted to come to a Night Club with me. Imagine the looks I used to get, especially from the girls. 
Even if you want to go out to a restaurant, many don’t open until 8 or 9pm and don’t be surprised if you see it packed between 11pm and midnight. No wonder everyone is so sleepy in the morning here, myself included.
Christmas
On Christmas Eve you will see kids roaming the streets on their new bikes well after midnight and even the granny will be up until the early hours of the morning celebrating with the rest of the family. This is because the Christmas presents are not opened until after midnight and not on Christmas morning.
Curfews in the Past
While Pinochet was in power during the 70’s and 80’s there used to be a curfew at night (Toque de queda in Spanish) and anyone found on the streets was arrested. Maybe this late-night phenomena that exists today started as a way of rebelling against the ‘old’ system. Having said that Chileans did go out until late before Pinochet but I’m not sure just how late. Anyone know?
Does anyone know specifically whether the curfew lasted the entire regime and at what time it started and ended?
I personally have always been a night owl and find myself most active and creative at night so I find myself fitting perfectly into this lifestyle. It is very rare to find me in bed before midnight.
Have your habits changed since you have been in Chile?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not a huge fan of this. It works for me during the week, because I like to go to bed around midnight or 1 am, but the thing is, I like to go to bed around midnight of 1am on the weekends too. If I go out, I literally can’t function past 2:00am so I’m always the “mala onda” or the “gringa fome” who leaves the party or club early. I’ve been trying to convert my Chilean friends to the gringo schedule, but so far, no luck.
Abby, I totally hear you.
A quick question… Did you stay up that late back in your home country or was it something you acquired here?
The Christmas fact is sad but true. But not long ago, when I was child (I’m 23 by now) all kids waited until morning to open the gifts… What happened?
…PS: sorry for my “Engrish”… =)
Interesting, I didn’t know that kids used to open presents in the morning. I had always assumed that they were opened at midnight here in Chile.
Waiting until midnight to open the presents is the best thing about our Christmas! As a kid I had the most amazing time looking for Santa in my backyard with the rest of my family, and then playing with the new toys ’till we couldn’t keep our eyes open. I can’t believe you’re actually able to wait until the morning!
pd. The curfew that was stated during the Pinochet regime started at 18.00 pm and ended at 6.00 am. I believe the curfew system started in 1973 and lasted ’till the early 80′s. I’m not so sure, though.
Well the truth is that Now I CAN’T wait until the morning.
I like this new way of indulging in presents earlier.. oh, I mean the kids must like it.
Our kids open a couple of presents at midnight at the inlaws house after Santa has gone by on the back of a pickup truck down the street.
WARNING, SPOILER…
A local grocer dresses up and makes a lot of noise as he goes down the road to distract kids while parents put presents under the tree.
SPOILER FINISHED
Then we have the surprise “Santa visited while you were sleeping” presents in the morning with just my wife and our kiddies. They’re still too young to wonder why Santa visits twice.