The 18th of September

Today for my blog, i would like to write about the "18" and the meaning that surrounds it. As almost every person who has been in chile in september has appreciate that there is a big nationalist movement arownd these dates. A smell of beef, the sound of cueca and the taste of terremoto and mote con huesillo are in every corner. TV shows, comercials, billboards are soked by the "18" ambience, that start apearing the lasts days of august. More than a day to remember the fisrt "junta de gobierno", people and the media are turning it to a way of life, it is like if you do not celebrate this date as the others by going to fondas and drinking and eating excessively, you are not representing your country, you are not that much of a chilean. Eventho I like the 18th of september because it is a time of the year when I meet with all my familly and it is a tradition for us, i think that the way that it is celebrated by most is harmfull. I am not saying that I have the right way to celebrate, but for me, it is the same thing that happens when the national selection of football plays, the entire country stops and this fealing of "being chilean" raise up like an gayser, it is the same fealing that people are having to refuse imigrants. People think that for drinking more wine, for dancing more cueca, for puting the flag, for singing the national anthem, they are more "chilean". And my question for all this people is, what is to be a chilean really?