Bolivia

A Bolivian breakfast usually consists of a cornmeal drink called “api” and an “empanada” (a pocket of pastry filled with cheese and other ingredients). Many people take a mid-morning break to eat a “salteña”. Salteñas are a national dish. They are pockets of pastry filled with beef or chicken, peas, potatoes, onions, olives, raisins and an egg.

Lunch is generally the most important meal of the day. People take long lunch breaks and many try to eat at home with their families. Lunch usually begins with soup, followed by a main course. During the afternoon, people may take a tea break and eat a pastry with their tea. Most families eat a small supper at night.

Potatoes are important in Bolivian cooking. In rural areas, people preserve potatoes by laying them out in the sun and then stamping on them to remove all of the water. They leave the potatoes to freeze during the night. These preserved potatoes are called “chuños” and they last for months. Corn and beans are also staples. Sweet popcorn called “pasankalla” is a favorite treat and people enjoy eating white corn called “choclo”. Cassava and fried plantains are popular side dishes. Rice and a grain called quinoa are often eaten with meals or added to soups. Bolivians enjoy a wide variety of fruits, including prickly pears and chirimoya (custard apples).

A Bolivian breakfast usually consists of a cornmeal drink called “api” and an “empanada” (a pocket of pastry filled with cheese and other ingredients). Many people take a mid-morning break to eat a “salteña”. Salteñas are a national dish. They are pockets of pastry filled with beef or chicken, peas, potatoes, onions, olives, raisins and an egg.

Lunch is generally the most important meal of the day. People take long lunch breaks and many try to eat at home with their families. Lunch usually begins with soup, followed by a main course. During the afternoon, people may take a tea break and eat a pastry with their tea. Most families eat a small supper at night.

Potatoes are important in Bolivian cooking. In rural areas, people preserve potatoes by laying them out in the sun and then stamping on them to remove all of the water. They leave the potatoes to freeze during the night. These preserved potatoes are called “chuños” and they last for months. Corn and beans are also staples. Sweet popcorn called “pasankalla” is a favorite treat and people enjoy eating white corn called “choclo”. Cassava and fried plantains are popular side dishes. Rice and a grain called quinoa are often eaten with meals or added to soups. Bolivians enjoy a wide variety of fruits, including prickly pears and chirimoya (custard apples).

Bolivian families, especially those in rural areas, may include grandparents as well as parents and children. Grandparents often take care of their grandchildren if both parents work outside of the home. Children are taught to be respectful of their elders and often have a close relationship with their grandparents. If grandparents are not available, older children often watch over their brothers and sisters.

"Godparents" also play an important role, especially in rural areas. Being a godparent is a heavy responsibility, and the ties between godparents and their godchildren often last their entire lives. This relationship, which is called “compadrazgo”, creates connections among different families.

Dating and marriage customs in Bolivia reflect a rich blend of indigenous traditions, Spanish colonial influences, and modern practices that vary significantly between urban and rural communities.

In many indigenous communities, particularly among Quechua and Aymara populations, courtship follows longstanding customs. A traditional practice known as "sirvinakuy" (sometimes called "tinku" in certain regions) allows couples to live together in a trial marriage before formalizing their union. This arrangement, rooted in pre-Columbian tradition, gives both partners the opportunity to assess compatibility and is still observed in parts of the Bolivian highlands and Andean communities today.

Formal marriage in Bolivia can take two legal forms: civil marriage, which is recognized by the state, and religious marriage, typically Catholic, which holds deep social significance for many families. The Bolivian Constitution requires that civil marriage be performed for a union to hold legal standing. Many couples choose to hold both ceremonies, often on the same day or within a short period.

The legal minimum age for marriage in Bolivia has been a subject of reform. Under the 2014 Family Code revisions, the minimum age was set at 14 for girls and 16 for boys with parental consent, though continued advocacy by children's rights organizations has pushed for raising these thresholds. Child marriage remains more prevalent in rural and lower-income areas than in urban centers like La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz.

Wedding celebrations in Bolivia tend to be communal, festive affairs often lasting multiple days and involving extended family, music, traditional food, and dance. Padrinos, or godparents, play an important sponsorship role in wedding ceremonies, contributing financially to specific elements of the event such as the cake, flowers, or music — a practice common across Latin American cultures.

Bolivia's fertility rate has declined over recent decades, standing at approximately 2.7 children per woman as of recent estimates, reflecting broader shifts in family formation patterns linked to increased urbanization and access to education for women.

Bolivians love soccer, which is called "futbol" in Spanish. Many Bolivians enjoy playing chess and card games. Women often play canasta or rummy. Men get together on Fridays, which are commonly called Bachelor Fridays, to play cacho, a game with dice, or sapo, in which they try to shoot small metal pieces into the mouth of a receptacle shaped like a frog.

Children play with marbles and with tops called "trompos". Little girls like to jump rope or play hopscotch, which is called "coscoja" or "tuncuna". Poorer children make their own toys, such as dolls or slingshots.

Every year there is a reed boat race in Lake Titicaca and an annual swimming race. The contestants cover themselves in grease and swim quickly because the water is very cold.

Bolivians in general eat three meals a day, breakfast being the lightest of the three. Breakfast usually consists of a breadlike pastry and a drink, often tea or coffee for teenagers and adults. Various pastries and local fruits are also common in a Bolivian breakfast.

School is in session Monday through Friday and generally begins at 8:00 in the morning and is done at around 1:00 in the afternoon. In rural areas they sometimes must travel from 1 to 3 hours to and from the school, although in the cities they will usually walk or ride a public transportation bus to school, depending on how far from the school they live. Bolivia’s public elementary and secondary schools are underfunded. In addition, a majority of the children come from low-income families. For the poorest children, the school lunch is the only meal they will have that day, so government and international agencies strive to provide well-balanced, affordable foods through the schools. These often include such staples as bananas and passion fruit, which are locally grown and help improve the nutrition of the students. Not all schools have lunch programs, however. Many students, especially in areas with higher family incomes, will eat lunch at home.

Classes usually begin at 8:00 a.m. and finish at 1:00 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday, although some schools will stop at noon for a lunch break, and then open back up from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. Many but not all schools require a school uniform of white shirts and pants or skirts. In secondary school, students in some schools might also need to have a separate sports uniform. There is a wide variety of school resources in the Bolivian schools. In the poorer parts of the country, the schools lack benches, desks, and blackboards. The benches are old, and the schools are poorly maintained. In the cities, schools may have modern resources, complete with well-maintained facilities and sufficient computers for students to study technology, including Internet connectivity. A normal class size is 30 children.

Schools are required to teach 12 to 14 mandatory subjects to their students in the general areas of language and communications, mathematics, life sciences, technical and practical knowledge, and expression and creativity. Bolivia has three main cycles of education, and children are required to attend school from age 6 to 14. The first cycle consists of basic learning, then three years of essential skills, and finally two years of applied learning. Many children drop out after the first six years. Even though education is mandatory until age 14, approximately 1 out of every 3 children aged 7 to 19 is in the workforce (71% of that young workforce lives in rural areas, with the remaining 29% coming from cities). Because of the high numbers of working children, night schools have become for some the only option for some children to become educated: over 500 schools have been created in Bolivia’s three largest cities of La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz. Additional studies show that approximately 80% of all elementary school students attend school, dropping to only 25% of secondary students remaining in school. Like many Latin American countries, the quality of education can vary widely throughout the country, with money being the most important influence. In communities with more money, the schools have better resources; in poor villages, the local school can struggle to even provide the most basic education.

Sports in Bolivia are usually organized by leagues rather than schools, so schools offer very few sports or similar extracurricular activities. Nonetheless, some schools will offer after-school activities such as music, chorus, dance, or sports. A few might also have sports teams, such as volleyball, basketball, and soccer, although those few are more likely to be private schools.

Regardless of where they gather, young Bolivians are generally courteous and concerned for one another’s well-being. Teenagers may get together regularly to watch movies, dance, and hang out in cafes and town plazas.

Typical Bolivian food consists mostly of rice, beans, vegetables, chicken, pasta, meat, and various soups. Families usually eat together at lunch and dinner, and they do not snack in between meals. In fact, it is usually considered rude to “raid the refrigerator”, especially for children who are visiting friends at their home. Bolivian social life is centered around the family, and parents are generally quite conservative in how they rear their children. The mother usually supervises the children and manages the household, while the husband is often occupied with work outside the home. Wealthier families often employ one or more maids to help with housework and cooking. Families are very important to the social and economic lifestyle of Bolivia. Although children love to spend time with friends, the majority of their youthful evenings will be with family at home. Multiple generations will live together in the same home, eat together at meal times, watch TV together, and socialize together. Children are respectful of the older members of their family, and the elderly are included in all parts of the family’s activities.

A long history of political problems and instability have had a negative effect on Bolivia’s overall educational programs. Though government officials, educational leaders, and the general population all understand that a successful future must include quality education, the challenges of a difficult economy and changing national politics make that type of education easier to talk about than implement. Bolivia has both public and private schools. Most schools are operated by the government, but religious and other organizations are allowed to run private schools as well. Private schools charge tuition and tend to have middle-class to upper-class students.  The school year begins each year in late February and ends in November, with a 15-day vacation in the middle of winter in late June and early July. Summer vacation then covers December to late February. Education is seen as the best chance for someone to get a better job and improve their family situation. Families who have an educated person in the family are often viewed more favorably than others. Unfortunately, over half of all adults are not employed, and 15% of those who do have jobs are underemployed and underpaid.