09/07/2019
F E L I Z D I A - 9 Julio. Today we celebrate Argentina’s Independence Day, known as Día de la Independencia. On this day in 1816, deputies of the organization known as the Provincias Unidas de America del Sur assembled in the Argentinian city of San Miguel de Tucumán and declared independence from Spanish rule for the provinces of Argentina, as well as Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
The family home where the historic meeting occurred is now an Argentinian museum known as the Casa Histórica de la Independencia. The date of the meeting also inspired the name of the widest avenue in the world, Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires, which boasts up to seven lanes in each direction.
This national holiday is commemorated all across Argentina with cultural exhibits, patriotic speeches, and parades. Traditionally, the president attends a special mass at the Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires. Many families take advantage of their time away from work and school to hold family reunions, feasting on asados (barbecued meat) and locro (a stew made with corn). Cafes along Buenos Aires’ Avenida de Mayo celebrate the occasion by serving churros and hot chocolate.
¡Feliz Día de la Independencia, Argentina!
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