Football
The first Uruguayan Football Championship was played in 1900 and was won by the Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club. Since then the game became increasingly popular getting to be the favorite sport of Uruguay, while it made the transition from amateurism to professionalism. Peñarol and Nacional, the the two “big” teams, share the majority of fans and championships won. In addition, both have triumphed at the international level, winning several Libertadores de América Cups and Intercontinental Cups. But if Nacional and Peñarol split the country in two halves, there’s one team that can bring together and excite the whole country: Uruguay national football team.
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguay National Football Team played its first game in 1901 and since 1910 wears the sky blue shirt that characterizes it. In 1924 it obtained an Olympic gold medal in Colombes and another one in Amsterdam in 1928. In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first World Cup and on July 30 of that year the national team defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final match at the brand new Estadio Centenario.
The fourth World Cup Championship was played in Brazil in 1950, and granted Uruguay its second cup. Uruguay shocked the world after beating the local and favorite team in the final match at the gigantic Maracana Stadium. Since then this fact is known as the "Maracanazo."
“Clásico”
This game has already been played over 500 times. The first one was on July 15, 1900 when Peñarol and Nacional first met. Since then, every game is a feast for the winner and a tragedy for the beaten. The adrenaline that this game causes on everyone is palpable weeks before in the streets and in the media, which is then translated into the colorful and singing stadium stands. .
Centenario
The Parque José Batlle y Ordóñez concentrates various sports facilities such as a running track, the velodrome, a shooting club and a couple of football fields, but the emblem of the area is the Centenario Stadium. Designed by the architect Juan A. Scasso, it was built in record time for the first World Cup in 1930, won by Uruguay. Since then it has been the main temple of the local football 
, the coliseum of the classic and the house of the Uruguay FootballTeam.
SUMMER!
In early December we start preparing for holidays and planning the summer vacations.
The countless beaches of the "Costa de Oro", the calm of Piriápolis, the glamour of Punta del Este and the oceanic beaches of Rocha are highly popular destinations. Thanks to the short distance between the different touristic spots it’s possible to live several vacations in one and make the most of the summer.
During summer the always near city of Montevideo slows its pace and becomes more peaceful, while the last preparations for Carnival are carried out.
Summer has washed away but who said the holidays were over? Tourism Week!
Each Tourism week the Uruguayans try to stretch the holiday season to the east coast (if we’re still in summer) or to the north to dive in the hot-springs (if the fall’s already come). It’s also week for the kids, who enjoy during those seven holydays the many plays and movies in the theatres.
Mate
Like the traditional “asado”, mate is taken in the company of others. The natural time is the morning as breakfast, but thanks to the “termo”, which replaced the boiler in the kitchen, the mate can be carried to work, college, or any place to get together with friends. A typical Uruguayan postcard is people on the Rambla, Parque Rodo, Prado, or any square, just sipping mate with shortbread.
Nowadays we call "mate" the drink as a whole but, strictly speaking, this word refers to the container made from the gourd of Lagenaria siceraria. The 2/3 of yerba mate it is filled with hot water, resulting in the ancient infusion that is drunk with the metallic Straw.
Asado
If there is a scent that confirms that we are in Uruguay it’s that of the “asado” (barbecue), the country's gastronomic specialty. A barbecue is always the best excuse for a getting together with family, friends, fellow students or workers.
As the mate, the barbecue brings together the countryside and the city. There’s no corner of Uruguay where the perfect plan for a Sunday isn’t to grill some steaks at home or at any of countless “parrilladas” (Steak houses) around the country or at the very epicenter of barbecue in Montevideo: the Mercado del Puerto.
After a good barbecue the usual desserts are “flan” (custard) with dulce de leche or pancakes with dulce de leche .
Medio y medio
The iconic Roldós Bar cup is a blend of dry white wine with sweet sparkling wine, known as “Medio y Medio” (Half and half), which lights up every barbecue at the Mercado del Puerto
Grappamiel
Warm grappamiel makes winter days of cracked throat more tolerable. The grappamiel is a variety of Grappa (derived from the grape) mixed with honey and it is a classic drink all over the country.
Wine
Tannat, Uruguay's flagship wine attracts the finest palates in the world, but it’s only the gateway to a world of sensations of different varieties of vines such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Hundreds of wineries with a rich family history are found on the fertile soils of the country. Uruguay has opted for quality rather than quantity, this being the main reason they’re praised worldwide.
Dulce de leche
The local variety of this Latin-American delicacy is composed of milk and sugar, resulting in a delicious sweet to be found in most sweet dishes of Uruguay. In the heart of shortbread, pancakes, custard, ice cream, “alfajores” and pies you’ll always find some dulce de leche. It is, undoubtedly, one of the flavors that foreigners miss the most after they leave.
Empanadas
Brought by Spanish immigrants, this dish has won the heart of Uruguayans and visitors for its unbeatable combination of simplicity, taste and variety. Even a child can prepare them!
Classic combinations include ingredients such as beef, ham and cheese, corn, green olives, onions and tomatoes. Vegetarians prefer the ones that mix eggplant, spinach, celery, peppers, leeks, and arugula. There are also sea food empanadas, stuffed with squid, tuna, mussels and cod. A sweet tooth will love the empanadas of dulce de leche, chocolate or apple.
Chivito y Milanesa
A student once defined it as "the best sandwich in the world" and he may be right. The star is the fine beef steak. The co-stars are lettuce, tomato, ham and cheese, bacon, onion, olives, egg, peppers and mayonnaise.
Additional ingredients expand the universe of chivito, which is usually served with fries. The Milanesa is also served with fries and bread. There’s a special type called “Milanesa Napolitana” wich brings ham, mozzarella and tomato sauce on top.
Uruguayan Carnival
On the last Tuesday in January Montevideo´s carnival takes 18 de Julio avenue with its opening parade. For one night all the artists that will perform every night (until March) at the “tablados” and at the main “tablado” (The Summer Theatre) can be seen. The two most important categories are Murga and Candombe.
The carnival arrived with the Europeans in the colonial times and its imagery was taken from the “Comedia del Arte” and, all along the twentieth century, has become the most popular holiday in Uruguay.
At the same time it shows different local variations. To the north of the country, in northern Rivera and Artigas, Uruguay and Brazil cultures merge; and in coastal La Pedrera it is mixed with the exciting summer resort spirit.
All this local folklore, its history and evolution can be appreciated at the Museum of Carnival.
Candombe and Desfile de LLamadas
The first Thursday and Friday in February the streets Carlos Gardel and Isla de Flores are home to the “Desfile de llamadas”, an event that catches the eyes of Uruguayans and foreigners alike, attracted by rhythm of the drums.
People come to the parade and even unwittingly begin to dance to the beat. This tradition of African origin began to take shape in the streets of Sur and Palermo neighborhoods. People go there and even unwittingly begin to dance to the beat.
This rhythm has been adapted to the popular song structure by musicians like Ruben Rada and Eduardo Mateo, who combined it with the "beat" song and Brazilian music molding, in this way, the soundtrack of the city of Montevideo. It also had its intersection with the classical music thanks to the Salto born pianist Jaures Lamarque Pons.
Countryside traditional festivities
The spirit of the gaucho of the former “Banda Oriental” is breathed on each festival that celebrates and confirms the most rooted features of our national identity. Traditional customs, characters and foods converge, while popular events like the “jineteada” (a sort of rodeo), the “doma” (similar to western dressage) and the musical performances draw the attention of the crowds.
In the “interior” (the in-country) the most outstanding folk festivals are the "Patria Gaucha" in Tacuarembo,"Minas y Abril" in Minas, " Andresito le canta al país " in Andresito, the " Festival del Payador" in San José de Mayo, and the " Noche de los Fogones" in Minas.
In Montevideo, the two festivals that take place during the “Semana Criolla” take thousands to “Criollas del Prado” and “Criollas del Parque Roosvelt”, which approach the different aspects of the rural life to the city.
Tristán Narvaja Market
Tristán Narvaja Fair is one of the most diverse and amazing strolls to be found in Montevideo. Each Sunday morning thousands of people come to find the book they’ve been searching for years, to buy vegetables for Sunday’s salad, to get the birthday gift for a friend, or just to walk around, lead by the feeling of the unusual or the bargain.The list of items awaiting in the stands is heterodox and doesn’t end: fruits, cheeses, alongside ancient jewelry, cult albums, second hand books, clothing, crafts, tools, animals, tools, spare parts, etc.
The market stands leave in the afternoon, but during the working days the usual stores of this traditional area open their doors, mainly antique shops and bookstores that sell new and old books.
Also on Sunday, but a few blocks to the south is the Parque Rodó fair which sales mainly clothes and crafts. Another very popular one is the Villa Biarritz fair, which is only two blocks from ILE. On Tuesdays and Saturdays you can both vegetables and clothes there.
And during the week every neighborhood has its own fruits, vegetables and food market.
Mapa Sonoro
The ongoing dialogue between different musical traditions can be tracked in renowned songwriters such as Fernando Cabrera or Jorge Drexler. The mix comes from the very beginning, as the Rio de la Plata has always been an area where the American, European and African converge. In the same way, the musical border between urban and rural is often only geographical as their paths intersect. So you can listen to a "rural" milonga like "Milonga de andar lejos" but also an "urban" one like "Milonga de pelo largo”. Other genres such as Candombe, Murga or Tango have spread from the suburbs to the forefront of recognition. Rock, on the other hand, has been the popular music of several generations of young people, and tropical music of other Latin American areas is the chosen genre when dancing.
Tango
Tango is the style of both shores; Montevideo and Buenos Aires. The greatest Uruguayan tango voices have been Julio Sosa and Francisco Canaro and the melody that has become a classic is "La Cumparsita", released in 1916 in a bar in Montevideo. This work by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez has become the "Hymn of the tangos" and has represented Uruguay in various international competitions.
Rock
Rock music hit the local scene in the 60's with groups like “Los Shakers” and “Los Mockers”. Later on, it acquired local characteristics with groups such as Totem or Psiglo. The development of this movement, however, was interrupted in the early 70's by the dictatorship. In the eighties, the post-dictatorship period brought the dark “Los Traisdores” and “Los Estómagos” and the satirical “Cuarteto de nos”. In the beginning of the 90’s solid alternative rock bands appeared as “Buenos Muchachos” or “La hermana menor” and by the end of the decade bands like “La vela puerca” and “No te va gustar” mixed rock with latin rhythms and have continued to enjoy great success during the 00’s.
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