Public holidays in Argentina
Encyclopedia
The following are the National public holiday
s and other observances of Argentina
.
Though holidays of many faiths are respected, public holidays usually include most Catholic holidays. Historic holidays include the celebration of the May Revolution (25 May), Independence Day (9 July), National Flag
Day (20 June) and the death of José de San Martín (17 August).
The extended family gathers on Christmas Eve at around 9 p.m. for dinner, music, and often dancing. Candies are served just before midnight, when the fireworks begin. They also open gifts from Papá Noel (Father Christmas or "Santa Claus"). New Year's Day
is also marked with fireworks. Other widely observed holidays include Good Friday
, Easter
, Labor Day
(1 May) and Sovereignty Day (formerly Malvinas Day
, 2 April).
¹ Moveable holidays: If the date falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the holiday is the preceding Monday. If it falls on a Thursday, a Friday, a Saturday, or a Sunday, then the holiday is the following Monday.
² Turistic holiday bridge: If the date of a non-movable holiday falls on Tuesday or Thursday, an extra holiday is added on the previous Monday or the following Friday, respectively.
³ Always moved to the 3rd Monday of August
Public holiday
A public holiday, national holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year....
s and other observances of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Though holidays of many faiths are respected, public holidays usually include most Catholic holidays. Historic holidays include the celebration of the May Revolution (25 May), Independence Day (9 July), National Flag
Flag of Argentina
The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...
Day (20 June) and the death of José de San Martín (17 August).
The extended family gathers on Christmas Eve at around 9 p.m. for dinner, music, and often dancing. Candies are served just before midnight, when the fireworks begin. They also open gifts from Papá Noel (Father Christmas or "Santa Claus"). New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
is also marked with fireworks. Other widely observed holidays include Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
(1 May) and Sovereignty Day (formerly Malvinas Day
Malvinas Day
Malvinas Day , officially Day of the Veterans and Fallen of the Malvinas War , is a public holiday in Argentina, celebrated each year on April 2...
, 2 April).
Public holidays
| Date | |Local name | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 (²) | New Year's Day New Year's Day New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome... |
Año Nuevo | International holiday |
| floating | Holy Thursday | Jueves Santo | International Catholic holiday |
| floating | Good Friday Good Friday Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of... |
Viernes Santo | International Catholic holiday |
| floating | Carnival Carnival Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party... (Monday) |
Lunes de Carnaval | (From year 2011 on) |
| Carnival Carnival Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party... (Tuesday) |
Martes de Carnaval | (From year 2011 on) | |
| March 24 and 25(²) | Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice | Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia | Anniversary of the coup d'état Coup d'état A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either... that started the 1976-1983 National Reorganization Process National Reorganization Process The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine... dictatorships. |
| April 2 (²) | Day of the veterans and the fallen in Malvinas War Malvinas Day Malvinas Day , officially Day of the Veterans and Fallen of the Malvinas War , is a public holiday in Argentina, celebrated each year on April 2... |
Día del Veterano y de los Caídos en la Guerra de Malvinas | Tribute to the fallen in, and the veterans of, the 1982 Falklands War Falklands War The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands... |
| May 1 (²) | Labour Day Labour Day Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for... |
Día del Trabajador | International holiday |
| May 25 (²) | Day of the First National Government First National Government The First Patriotic Government is a public holiday of Argentina, commemorating the May Revolution and the creation of the Primera Junta on May 25, 1810, which is considered the first patriotic government of Argentina... |
Primer Gobierno Patrio First National Government The First Patriotic Government is a public holiday of Argentina, commemorating the May Revolution and the creation of the Primera Junta on May 25, 1810, which is considered the first patriotic government of Argentina... |
Anniversary of the 1810 May Revolution May Revolution The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay... . |
| June 20 (²) | National Flag Day Flag Day A flag day is a flag-related holiday—either a day designated for flying a certain flag , or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag.... |
Día de la Bandera | Anniversary of the death of Manuel Belgrano Manuel Belgrano Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano , usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano, was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina... , who created the Flag of Argentina Flag of Argentina The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors... . (Not movable from 2011 on) |
| July 9 (²) | Independence Day Independence Day An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation... |
Día de la Independencia | Anniversary of the 1816 Argentine Declaration of Independence Argentine Declaration of Independence What today is commonly referred as the Independence of Argentina was declared on July 9, 1816 by the Congress of Tucumán. In reality, the congressmen that were assembled in Tucumán declared the independence of the United Provinces of South America, which is still today one of the legal names of the... . |
| (August 17) (³) | Anniversary of the death of General José de San Martín José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the... |
Día del Libertador José de San Martín | Anniversary of the death of José de San Martín, liberator Libertadores Libertadores refers to the principal leaders of the Latin American wars of independence from Spain. They are named that way in contrast with the Conquistadors, who were so far the only Spanish peoples recorded in the South American history... of Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... , Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... and Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... . |
| (October 12) (¹) | Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity Columbus Day Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday... |
Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural | Celebrated on the second Monday of October. Former "Día de la raza" (Race day), anniversary of the arrival of Columbus to the Americas. Some indigenous communities and activists for their rights consider the arrival of Columbus the prelude of destruction for native civilizations in the Americas, and occasionally stage a protest/mourning holiday on October 11, the "last day of freedom". |
| (November 20) (¹) | Day of National Sovereignty Day of National Sovereignty The Day of National Sovereignty is a national public holiday of Argentina, celebrated during November 20. It commemorates the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado, when a small Argentine army stood against an Anglo-French navy that broke into the Paraná River, against the will of the Argentine Confederation... |
Día de la Soberanía nacional | Celebrated on the fourth Monday of November. Anniversary of the 1845 Battle of Vuelta de Obligado Battle of Vuelta de Obligado The naval Battle of Vuelta de Obligado took place on the waters of the Paraná River on November 20, 1845, between the Argentine Confederation, under the leadership of Juan Manuel de Rosas, and an Anglo-French fleet.- Background :... against the Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata The Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata was a five-year long naval blockade imposed by France and Britain on the Argentine Confederation ruled by Juan Manuel de Rosas. It was imposed in 1845 to support the Colorado Party in the Uruguayan Civil War and closed Buenos Aires to naval commerce... (from year 2010 on) |
| December 8 (²) | Immaculate Conception Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology... Day |
Día de la Inmaculada Concepción | Also known as Día de la Virgen ("Virgin Mary's Day") |
| December 24 (²) | Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25... |
Nochebuena | Begins at midday. |
| December 25 (²) | Christmas Day | Navidad | International Christian holiday |
| December 31 (²) | New Year's Eve New Year's Eve New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the... |
Fin de Año | Final day of the Gregorian Calendar Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter... . Begins at midday. |
- Notes:
¹ Moveable holidays: If the date falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the holiday is the preceding Monday. If it falls on a Thursday, a Friday, a Saturday, or a Sunday, then the holiday is the following Monday.
² Turistic holiday bridge: If the date of a non-movable holiday falls on Tuesday or Thursday, an extra holiday is added on the previous Monday or the following Friday, respectively.
³ Always moved to the 3rd Monday of August
Other observances by law
The following are federal non-working national or religious holidays, during which people of the following faiths or ethnicities are excused from work:- Armenian Argentines: Day of Tolerance and Respect among Peoples (Armenian GenocideArmenian GenocideThe Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
commemoration, 24th April) - Eastern OrthodoxEastern Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
: Christmas Day (January 7th) - IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
: Festival of Sacrifice, Muslim New YearMuslim New YearThe Hijri New Year, also known as Islamic new year is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year, and is the day on which the year count is incremented...
and End of RamadanEid ul-FitrEid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"... - JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
: PassoverPassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
(first two days and last two days), Jewish New Year and Day of AtonementYom KippurYom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
Other observances
- Teacher's Day (Día del Maestro) on September 11, commemorating the death of D. F. SarmientoDomingo Faustino SarmientoDomingo Faustino Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history...
; only observed by primary school students. - Student's DaySpring Day (Argentina)Spring Day is an informal holiday in Argentina, celebrated on 21 September, the conventional date of the beginning of spring ....
/Spring DaySpring Day (Argentina)Spring Day is an informal holiday in Argentina, celebrated on 21 September, the conventional date of the beginning of spring ....
(Día del Estudiante/Día de la Primavera) on September 21; only observed by high-school and university students. - Friend's dayDía del AmigoDía del Amigo is a celebration of friendship, held annually on July 20 in South American countries Argentina and Uruguay and on July 30 on Paraguay.-History:...
(Día del Amigo) on July 20; unofficial. - Mother's Day (Third Sunday of October)
- Animal's Day (April 29)
- Father's Day (Third Sunday of June)
- Children's Day (Second Sunday of August)