9 July every year
Across Argentina, with the main celebrations in San Miguel de Tucumán.
Fly the flag, watch a parade, listen to folk music and share locro and empanadas with family.
¡Feliz Día de la Independencia!: Happy Independence Day!
On 9 July 1816, the Congress of Tucumán declared the independence of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata from the Spanish monarchy. The declaration was signed in a house belonging to Francisca Bazán de Laguna in San Miguel de Tucumán. Today that building, the Casa Histórica de la Independencia, is a national museum and a national historic monument, and it remains the heart of the celebrations. The date is a public holiday across the country.
In Tucumán, the day includes official ceremonies at the Casa Histórica, a changing of the guard and a civic and military parade, with schools, community groups and veterans taking part. On the eve, the courtyard and streets nearby often fill with folk music and food stalls. Across the country, towns hold their own events, from parades to craft fairs and folk concerts, and many families display the blue and white flag. Because 9 July falls in the southern winter, food plays a big part: locro, a hearty stew of maize, beans, squash and meat, is the dish most associated with the day, alongside empanadas, humita, pastelitos and tortas fritas. Clubs, schools and neighbourhoods often organise shared locro lunches. How people celebrate varies by region and family.
Argentina has two patriotic dates that are easy to mix up: 25 May marks the May Revolution of 1810, when the first local government was formed, while 9 July marks the formal declaration of independence.
Mark 9 July at home:
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If you visit Tucumán around 9 July, book accommodation early and expect road closures around the parade route. The Casa Histórica museum is a few blocks from Plaza Independencia. Elsewhere, look for local locro lunches and folk festivals, which are usually open and welcoming to visitors.
The Congress that declared independence met in San Miguel de Tucumán in 1816, and the declaration was signed in the house that is now the Casa Histórica museum.
A thick, slow-cooked stew of maize, beans, squash and meat. It is a traditional dish for patriotic holidays, especially in winter.
25 May remembers the May Revolution of 1810, when the first local government was formed. 9 July remembers the formal declaration of independence in 1816.
