Food in Daily Life.

Venezuelans have three main meals: a large breakfast, a large dinner (around noontime), and a
very light supper in the evening. Venezuelan hospitality is widespread, so something to drink and
eat is expected when visiting someone's home.Arepas,the most distinctive Venezuelan food, are
thick disks made of precooked cornmeal, either fried or baked. Large arepas, with a variety of
fillings (ham and cheese is the most popular one), are eaten as snacks throughout the day;
smaller arepas are typically served as side companions at all meals.
Similar to arepas areempanadas(deep-fried pasties) andcachapas(a pancake/crepe-like dish),
which are filled with cheese, ham, and/or bacon. Among the other main Venezuelan dishes are
thepabelln criollo,which consists of black beans, fried sweet plantains, white rice, and semi-
shredded meat (carne mechada), all topped with a fried egg. Also popular arepernil(roasted
pork),asado(roasted beef),bistec a caballo(steak with fried egg), and pork chops. Fruit juices are
also extremely popular and there is also a great variety of salads, although these are traditionally
seen as a complementary, not a main, dish.
Clothing.
Women's traditional outfits consist of long dresses with full, flowing skirts. The material is
usually a floral print, reflective of the Venezuela's Spanish and Caribbean influence. The dresses,
or blouses if a skirt-and-blouse combination is selected, are often worn off the shoulder or have
one sleeve off the shoulder. The outfits frequently feature ruffles, and women usually put flowers
in their hair.
Tribal people have different traditional outfits, of course. Some tribal women favor shorter skirts,
beads and cropped tops, for example, while the men have some variation on campesino (native
Latin American who lives in a rural area) attire [source: Ahsan]. In general, though, Western
styles predominate today for formal occasions.
Arts.
Since the 1920s the Venezuelan state has invested in developing and maintaining a national
culture through the arts. The two areas that have most benefited from this support have been
literature and music. Caracas features a publicly financed symphony orchestra that plays not only
classical genres but also the more nationalistic genre ofjoropos. The state also supports several
museums that house some of the national artistic production. The three prime ones are: the
Museum of Fine Arts, which was founded in 1938; the Museum of Colonial Art, which is located
in an eighteenth century house; and the Museum of Natural Sciences, which was founded in
1940 and houses over fifteen thousand exhibits. All three are located in Caracas.
Literature.
Very few Venezuelan artists are known outside of the national borders. Exceptions to this in
literature include the writers Rmulo Gallegos and Arturo Uslar Pietri. Gallegos in first part of
the twentieth century and Pietri in the second half worked within a continental tradition of
nostalgic and national writing about the nature of Venezuelan/American identity.
Graphic Arts.Architects such as Carlos Ral Villanueva have gained international acclaim, while
other architects such as Enrique Hernndez, Enrique Zubizarreta, and Jos Castillo are also
widely recognized for their designs.
Architecture.
Modern ideals and the escalating Americanization of Venezuelan culture have increasingly
diminished the presence of traditional rural customs in the city centers. This blend
of modernist aspirations tempered with local traditions, including colonial architectural
remnants, has created a unique Venezuelan style.

Simple homes with a flaring oil well in the background, Cabimas. Oil is Venezuela's most
profitable export product.

Sources:
Countries and Their Cultures. (n.d) Venenzuela. Retrieved from
http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Venezuela.html, on March 4, 2017
Mcmanus, M. R. (n.d) How Venenzuelan Traditions Work, Retrieved from,
http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/national-traditions/venezuelan-
tradition2.htm, on March 4, 2017.