How does Paraguay celebrate their holidays?

I lived in Paraguay for over 2 years as a Peace Corps volunteer. I can really only answer this question from a rural standpoint though. In the "campo" or rural areas, holidays are celebrated with an asado - barbeque beef ribs - cooked on a "parrilla" - a simple grill on the ground over charcoal.

Christmas is celebrated on Christmas eve with an asado accompanied by "clerico" - clerico is a wine (red or white) with fruit salad mixed in (pineapple, apple, grapes, peaches, anything goes). Pineapple soda is often used with the wine or instead of wine.

Every community has a patron saint and that community celebrates that saint's day usually with a "rodeo" - a horse show (no roping of cows like the US version of a rodeo), a soccer tournament, a mass, sometimes a procession. Many communities do "karu guazu" or "big meal" in conjuntion with their saint day. Women prepare a huge meal and invite all of their friends and close neighbors. This practice is usually tied to a "promesa" or a promise that woman made to the saint in exchange for help/answer to a prayer. She then provides this large meal every year for a number of years. Since a Catholic holiday can be accompanied by a novena - or nine days of prayer - the big meals can go on for nine days with more than one big meal per day for nine days.

Holidays in Paraguay are a day of rest and fun and family. Families reunite - sons and daughters returning from the city to spend the day or weekend with their extended family. Loud music is played, beer or wine mixed with Coca-Cola is consumed all day, the meal is large (asado of beef ribs, potato or rice salad, manioca - yucca), volleyball or soccer games and if the weather is hot, a trip to the closeby river or stream for swimming.

• A holiday that has 9 letters?
• When is considered the middle of the summer?
• Which city held the first Columbus Day Parade?