The receiver is not permitted to express gratitude before finishing the beverage; if they do, they will not be provided with any more friends. Nowadays, mate "gourds" are constructed from a variety of materials, including wood, glass, bull horns, porcelain, silicone, etc., although historically formed from a hollowed calabash gourd.
In Paraguay, Argentina, Southern Brazil, and Uruguay, friends frequently get together to drink mate (matear), similar to how others congregate for tea or coffee. In hot weather, lemonade can occasionally be used in place of the hot water. Yerba Mate is commonly consumed in Paraguay with hot water in the morning and on temperate days, and cold water on hot days.
Yerba Mate is especially popular in Paraguay and Uruguay, so one may see people walking through the streets carrying the mate and usually a termo. Yerba Mate is drunk annually per person in Uruguay at 10 kg, compared to 5 kg annually in Argentina. The enormous weights are caused by the fact that a lot more herb is used to make the infusion than is used to make tea or other drinks.
