Yerba Mate holds great significance not only in Paraguay but also in other southern countries like Argentina. It symbolizes unity, goodness, and sharing—an essential tradition.
According to legend, near the Guairá Falls, a couple with their daughter lived in a small cabin. The young woman was very beautiful, kind, and of good heart.
One night, while the family was having dinner, they heard someone knocking at the door. When they opened it, a man with a benevolent appearance asked for shelter for that night because he was very tired from a long journey and promised to leave at dawn. The head of the family agreed and asked his wife to sacrifice the last chicken they had, offering the stranger their bed while they slept on the floor.
The next day, the stranger was ready to leave, but before departing, he gathered the family and confessed that he was a messenger from heaven sent to reward those who are kind and selfless—like them—who, despite having little, gave him shelter and food, treating him as family.
Everyone was surprised, but the father of the family refused to accept any payment. The stranger then said he would make the girl immortal, and suddenly she was transformed into a plant, which the father planted outside his house.
This plant is known as Yerba Mate. Its leaves are used to prepare infusions in many South American towns, and when the leaves are removed, it blooms again.
