Argentina Commemorates Flag Day, Honoring Creator Manuel Belgrano

Argentina observes Flag Day on June 20, a significant national holiday that honors Manuel Belgrano, the lawyer and military leader credited with creating the Argentine flag. This date, a non-negotiable holiday, coincides with a long weekend, offering a period for both rest and patriotic reflection.

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The day not only functions as a space for rest but possesses a profound patriotic significance, given that it is the day chosen to commemorate the passing into immortality of Manuel Belgrano.

The history of the national symbol dates back to 1810 when the First Junta commissioned Belgrano to design an insignia to distinguish troops and represent the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. After creating the sky-blue and white cockade, Belgrano extended these colors to the flag. The first flag, made by María Catalina Echeverría, was first flown on February 27, 1812, along the Paraná River in Rosario, under Belgrano's supervision.

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After having designed the cockade with the sky-blue and white colors, the hero extended this chromatic choice to the flag.

Although the design was formally ratified by the Congress of Tucumán on July 20, 1816, the original flag's journey was complex. It traveled with Belgrano to Upper Peru and its whereabouts were unknown until 1883. The enduring emotional and political connection to Belgrano and his creation was solidified by Law 12.361, passed by Congress in 1938, which established the annual commemoration on the anniversary of Belgrano's death on June 20, 1820.

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The first exemplar, made by María Catalina Echeverría, was hoisted for the first time on February 27, 1812, on the banks of the Paraná River, in the city of Rosario, in the presence of Belgrano himself and the soldiers of the 5th Regiment.

Today, June 20 serves as a crucial date in Argentina's social and educational life. Thousands of schools across the country hold traditional flag oath ceremonies, where students pledge their commitment and loyalty to the nation. This observance aims to keep alive the legacy of Belgrano, a key figure in the early years of independence, who was born on June 3, 1770. The holiday encourages contemplation on the importance of national symbols as unifying elements for a society that continues to recognize the foundational values of its history in the sky-blue and white banner.

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The law established the annual commemoration on the date of the hero's death, which occurred on June 20, 1820, in his residence in Buenos Aires.