Argentina Christmas Traditions

“We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and therefore should firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful.”

After receiving demands from catholic congregations and universities all over the world, Pope Pius IX pronounced these words in one of the largest, nicest and probably most important churches of them all: St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy.  It was December 8, 1854.

Since then, this day has been celebrated by churches and believers in every corner of the planet as the Day of the Immaculate Conception or Virgin Mary. Furthermore, in some catholic countries it is a holy day of obligation and in others, like Chile or Argentina, it’s also a public holiday. Throughout the whole nation, religious catholics head to church to pray or even go on a pilgrimage and every diocese, sanctuary, parish and chapel throws its particular party to worship the Virgin.

Some of the most special places to go are one of the 80 temples dedicated exclusively to the Immaculate Conception. Other important sites that get full with followers of the mother of Jesus Christ are the sanctuary of Itatí (Corrientes, northeast), the cathedral of Nuestra Señora del Valle (Catamarca, northwest) and, of course, the beautiful basilica of Our Lady of Luján (Buenos Aires province), patron saint of Argentina, where usually politicians and notorious figures gather around to participate in a public mass.

• To visit both Itatí and Lady of Luján in 6 days, our recommendation is the trip to Buenos Aires & Iguazú Falls. Though other tours are included, all our trips can be tailored to your needs, so you could easily book both sanctuaries if this is your chosen itinerary.

The Day of the Virgin is also the moment all lovers of Christmas wait eagerly for: it’s the day when they set up the tree.

Every Argentine, religious or not, that loves this Christmas tradition because of the cultural, familiar or personal meaning that it has to them highly anticipates the 8th of December to take out the boxes that disappear the rest of the year in the corner of the wardrobe and start decorating. 

During Christmas in Argentina, the (usually fake) pines arrive to the entrance or living room of every family and are full of tinsels, garlands, angels, stars and any kind of colorful ornament they can find.

The best travel destination during the Christmas season in Argentina really depends on what kind of celebration you are looking for!

That is to say:

• Buenos Aires is the best option to enjoy the many parties in clubs and some restaurants organized to celebrate Christmas. Plus, you can enjoy the perks of all big cities: Christmas decorations on the street and spectacles.
  
• Patagonia is your only chance to see snow during Christmas in Argentina. Though it is Summer on the Southern Hemisphere, you can find snow-capped mountains. Patagonia is ideal to spend Christmas in nature and hiking on some of the best hiking trails of the world. 
  
• Mendoza is the perfect place to spend a relaxing Christmas eve, a couple of wine into the warm pool, or watching fireworks from vineyards. This is our Wine Country, eating and tasting the best wine is the way you’ll wait for Santa in Mendoza. 
  

To learn more on Christmas in Argentina, check out this blog article with more information on Argentina Holidays. Or to see Argentina for yourself, get in touch with us at Say Hueque today!

Written by Irene Valiente