The Latin American Clock

The number one faux-pas that you can commit in Peru, as in many other Latin American countries, is to show up on time for a social invitation. For lunch they will probably invite you at 1:30pm but you are not expected until 2:30 – 3pm. Dinner guests will usually start arriving around 9pm even though the invitation may have called for 8pm. If you are like me and have your moods determined by your hunger levels, then I recommend that you eat a snack before attending a lunch or dinner party in Peru or fill up on the 'bocaditos' (appetizers). Not only is it a given that everyone will arrive one or two hours past the invited time but you can count on the food being served well past the time when your stomach has finished growling, you've felt faint and are probably past a comfortable state of inebriation from the Pisco sours being served. Peruvians not only have a tendency to start things late but when socializing they also love extending gatherings for as long as is physically possible.

I suppose tardiness is acceptable when you do it among friends but recently Peruvian authorities decided that this behaviour of showing up late for everything, including business meetings, has to change. As this article in the Guardian indicates, a government-led council is working on an initiative called 'La Hora sin Demora', or 'Time without Delay'. On March 1 at noon, sharp, sirens will sound and church bells will ring with the hope that 27 million Peruvians will synchronize their watches, and an opening ceremony will be televised. The idea is that one should be ashamed about arriving late after a nation-wide effort of that magnitude.

Old habits will likely die hard, however, as many people feel that 'Peruvian time' is part of the culture of being Peruvian. The issue will also be a matter of perception - according to the article, a recent poll indicates that 80% of Peruvians think that they are punctual. That's likely because in Peru most people will consider being less than an hour late to be 'on time'. Keep in mind that when in Peru, better late than early, or you may be helping to set up the table!

Stay tuned for our upcoming coverage of Peru for other cultural tips!

This article was posted by Veronica Montero

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