Located on the South American continent, Argentina is a cultural hotbed boasting lots of natural diversity and truly amazing food. Argentineans also have a lot of interesting cultural holidays that they celebrate throughout the year.
Here’s a list of 5 holidays that are unique to Argentineans or are celebrated differently than in the states.
- Christmas
- Los Tres Reyes Magos
- Folklore Festival in Córdoba
- Carnaval
- National Day
Many of Argentina’s unique holidays celebrate their independence or the road to independence with feasting and dancing, forming a rich cultural landscape. The rest of this article will walk you through how the people of Argentina celebrate on these holidays.
Christmas
Unlike in the States, Argentineans will have their big Christmas feast late at night on Christmas Eve, consisting of barbecued meat in addition to a variety of salads and sandwiches. Of course, no Christmas meal would be complete without a fine array of deserts.
When Christmas rolls around at midnight, they sound off fireworks and open up their presents.
Los Tres Reyes Magos
Based on the story of the three wise men, Argentineans celebrate a holiday in which children leave their shoes outside to indicate to the wise men how many people there are in the home.
In exchange for grass and water for their camels, the wise men are said to leave presents for the children. This holiday is beautiful because it caps off the holiday season with a bang.
Folklore Festival in Córboda
This festival, started in the ‘60s, originally focused on Argentine Folk music. It’s a 9-day music festival featuring everything from traditional music to tango to international hits. To this day, it’s considered one of the most culturally significant holidays in South America.
Carnaval
Carnaval is celebrated in several places besides Argentina, including Spain and Brazil. Argentineans show off their vibrant cultural traditions with colorful displays and elaborate festivals and parades.
Thousands of people gather to hear about Carnival traditions and stories that are part of a long-lost cultural tradition. This holiday was recently reinstated by the Argentine government in 2011.
National Day
Celebrating Independence Day, families will gather to eat a corn-based stew called locro. Much feasting and celebration accompany the joyous occasion as the people of Argentina remember the events that led to their independence from Spain.
Oftentimes, the day is celebrated with family, but there are also gathering to hear speeches from government officials.
Final Thoughts
Argentina is a rich cultural place that, like many other countries, celebrates memorable days in its history with food, dance, and festivities.
With a vibrant and diverse landscape, the people of Argentina know how to have a good time. Even if you’re just a visitor, you can practically feel the enthusiasm in the air during these celebrations.
More important still, they are committed to transferring the memories and legends that span Argentina’s history of Independence through various holidays to imprint the will for freedom onto the next generation.
