Argentina – Public and National Holidays
An Insight in Argentina's Festivals and Holiday Celebrations
Aug 5, 2009
February with only three commemorative days stands in contrast to October, which has about twenty of them. Argentina loves national holidays, public holidays or any other form of holiday celebration. It takes a while to understand the nuances in this maze of holidays – not in the least because Argentinians themselves are often not familiar with them.
National Holidays and Public Holidays in Argentina
National holidays ["feriados nacionales"] are non-working days whereas public holidays ["fiestas publicas"] are dedicated to a religious celebration, but remain normal working days. The latter include days like Epiphany, Carnival, Corpus Christi and All Saints’ Day. In Argentina the Spanish word "feriado" in general implies a non-working day.
Commemorative days are all the other days that have been conceived to honour someone or something. Sometimes these celebratory days seem solely to have a commercial reason: through a spate of advertisements people are encouraged to give flowers or gifts to someone.
National Holidays in Argentina
Some Argentinian national holidays are celebrated worldwide, like New Year's Day, Good Friday, Labour Day [May 1st], and Christmas. Other national holidays are specific for Argentina:
- March 24th: "Día National de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia" commemorates the start of the "Golpe de Estado" [Military Junta] that started on March 24, 1976.
- April 2nd: "Día del Veterano y de los Caídos en la Guerra de Malvinas". This national holiday pays homage to the veterans and war victims of the Falklands War.
- June 20th: "Día de la Bandera Nacional", also called Flag Day, honours the anniversary of General Manuel Belgrano's death in 1820.
- August 17th: "Aniversario de la muerte del general José de San Martín". This national holiday commemorates the day of death of Argentina's leader and hero in the struggle for Argentina's independence: San Martín.
- October 12th: "Día de la Raza". On this day the discovery of America by Columbus in 1492 is commemorated.
Whereas most national holidays are fixed, some are "flexible". For example, Flag Day and the day of San Martín are both moved to the third Monday of that particular month. On other national holidays, like the day of the veterans and war victims of the Falkland War and "Día de la Raza", the national holiday is moved to the Monday prior or following this date. This is done to create a long weekend. Often these days go by unnoticed except for the fact that government buildings, schools and sometimes shops are closed.
Argentina also acknowledges several non-Christian, religious holidays, which are considered non-working days for people of the relevant faiths. Among these are: Day of Atonement [Judaism], New Year's Day [indigenous], End of Ramadan [Muslims].
Celebratory Days to Honour Family Members
In many countries Mother's Day and Father's Day are celebrated. A look at the Argentinean calendar demonstrates the love Argentineans have for their family members and family relationships:
- March 2nd: Day of Marriage
- March 4th: Brother's Day
- March 25th: Day of the Unborn Child
- first Sunday of April: Girlfriend's Day
- third Sunday of April: Godparents' Day
- second Sunday of May: Day of Godchildren and Grandchildren
- third Sunday of June: Father's Day
- second Sunday of August: Children’s' Day
- second Sunday of August: Grandfather's Day
- first Sunday of September: Aunt's Day
- September 24th: Boyfriend's Day
- October 6th: World Children’s Day
- October 26th: Brother-in-Law's Day
- third Sunday of October: Mother's Day
- second Sunday November: Grandmother's Day
Even though many of these go by unnoticed, one can't fail to notice the increasing publicity in big cities for a day like "Grandchildren's Day", when grandparents are encouraged to shower their grandchildren with gifts.
Other Holiday Celebrations in Argentina
Many professions have been granted a special day, officially or unofficially. Some of the professions honoured are: photographers, brewers, journalists, editors, sculptors, investigators, decorators, translators, taxi drivers, graphic designers, professors, football players, bankers, biologists, inventors, dentists, actors, pharmacists, psychologists, architects, teachers.
Apart from internationally known holidays like Valentine's Day, Animals’ Day, International Women's Day, Argentina's has an abundance of holiday celebrations which are dedicated to, for example: Transportation, Health, Kinesiology, Marketing, the Neighbour, Dogs, Employers, Employees, Friends, Culture, Television, Medicines, Industry, Retired people, Federal Police, Tango, National Theatre.
In accordance with the wondrous Argentinian way of life – flexible, where nothing is fit into a straightjacket, the lists of these holiday celebrations, apart from the national and public holidays, seem somewhat flexible as well. Different lists may point out distinct celebratory days. Which ones are truly established and have national value, or which have been made up by a small group remains a mystery, or the opinion of one particular person. In most cases, one can only guess at their origins.
Argentina's Day of the Goalkeeper
"In Argentina, there is a day for everybody, except for the goalkeeper" is an Argentinian saying. Poor goalkeeper, no day has been dedicated to him yet. Furthermore, his profession is even abused – albeit in a joking manner. If one does not want to do or give something, but doesn't want to say so openly, one can say: "I'll give it to you / I'll do it on the Day of the Goalkeeper".
Resources to Travel for Argentina and South America
To be well prepared for a travel to Argentina, readers may also be interested in other practical issues concerning travel in Argentina [road maps and traffic rules] or South America [overland travel, car rental, car shipment].
 |
 |
