Flags + generals + religion = public holidays in Argentina

The period between September to late December always feels like such a slog in England. The days are shortening, the weather is becoming grimmer and there are no bank holidays to look forward to, not until Christmas at the earliest.

Move to the other side of the world, however - specifically Argentina - and it’s a different story. All you need to do is find a General, make a claim for him to be recognised and before long, you’ve got yourself a bank holiday. We have just enjoyed an extra-long weekend, celebrating a General called Martín Miguel de Güemes on Friday 17 June, followed by Day of the Flag (Día de la Bandera) yesterday, Monday 20 June.

Like most people living here, I was delighted with the additional day off this weekend. However, for many it’s more than just a day off, as the origins and traditions have a deeper cultural or social meaning. 

Just the other day, my husband and I were talking about this with a Canadian friend, who mentioned that Canada Day was coming up shortly. This is a case in point, particularly as we come from a country where we don’t even know why bank holidays are called bank holidays, let alone know the reason why we celebrate them (apart from the religious ones).

Güemes day

About a month ago (unbeknown to me at the time), the press reported that the senate were advancing plans to make 17 June a national holiday. Then, a little over a week ago, the government authorised that 17 June would be a new public holiday this year. 

Well done, Güemes. Several Argentines have never heard of him, but who cares if it means a holiday, right? In a nutshell, Güemes was a military man who hailed from the province of Salta. He helped to fight off the Spanish in the north of the country during the war of independence and also led the so-called Gaucho war. 

The 17 June initiative was largely backed by Kirchnerismo, which said that Güemes should be held in the same regard as other heroes of the independence. Some MPs from other parties, however, have questioned the initiative, asking if any workdays would be left if the country commemorated all its military heroes..?

Day of the Flag

Day of the Flag, on 20 June, commemorates the death of another military figure, Manuel Belgrano, who played a key part in the revolution for independence against Spain. He was a member of the country’s first government and led an expedition to Paraguay, during which he created the Argentine flag, on 27 February 1812.

Congress approved this public holiday in 1938.

New world vs old world?

I’m all in favour of having a day off, if and when deserved, yet what strikes me about the public holidays here is just how much they promote nationalism.

I’m not criticising nationalism in itself, as it can give citizens a sense of unity and identity. I, myself, don’t love everything about Britain, but I’m proud to be British. It also seems to be more of a new world rather an old world phenomenon, as one can argue precisely that the military needed nationalism to create new nations and a unified destiny.

However, that was back in the early 1800s. Does nationalism still serve the same purpose? Of course, people should be able to celebrate a country’s achievements. On the other hand, nationalism has to be balanced. Excessive nationalism, as far as I understand it, never seems to end well.

As my husband said, we certainly would not have a day off to celebrate the actions of General Douglas Haig, the commander of British Forces on the Western Front for most of the First World War. A successful General (in the end) perhaps, but when someone is associated with such loss of life, should public holidays be named after them? Perhaps our view on war and statehood is somewhat different.

Recent events closer to my home - Brexit and the sad and shocking death last week of MP Jo Cox - have shown what happens if nationalism is left untampered. It can not only divide and devastate communities, but also blinker us from the values that we stand for. That is what we should remember, perhaps, whether it be a day off or not.