December 6 is celebrated in Argentina National Gaucho Daya celebration that pays tribute to one of the country’s most important historical and cultural figures. This date has been officially set by Law No. 24303, Approved by the National Conference Dated December 15, 1993, it was released at the end of the same month.
Chosen as National Gaucho Day, the reason for selection is closely linked to national literature and seeks to perpetuate the values, history and rich cultural heritage of the gaucho, considering it a symbol of Argentinianism.
The Gaucho: from a marginal figure to a national emblem
The date was chosen as a reference for the publication of the first part of the book “1872” in 1872.Gaucho Martin Fierro“, he Narrative poem by José Hernández. This Argentine literary masterpiece, to which “La Vuelta de Martín Fierro” was later added in 1879, not only It became a national book.For, but also raised the character of the gaucho. The work tells the life and adventures of a persecuted and marginalized gaucho in the Pampa region at the end of the nineteenth century.
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Historically, the term “gaucho” (the origin of which has been debated, supposedly derived from the Quechua language) Huacho“orphan” or “vagrant”) was used for Identify the Creole or mestizo people who inhabited the fields During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. At first, colonial authorities referred to them negatively as thieves or vagabonds. They were Bedouin horsemen and experts in livestock breeding, and their lives were characterized by independence.
Although he was persecuted and criticized by sectors of the elite, his participation was crucial in the struggle for independence. the Montoneras by Martin Miguel de Guemes, Who fought the royalists in Salta, was known as “Gaucho Gomez”, cementing him as a defender of the country and a symbol of courage.
Over time, the image of the gaucho became associated with Core values of Argentine identitySuch as honor, loyalty, courage and love of the land. This claim was confirmed by the literature, music and art that immortalized him as a pioneer of the Pampas and a representative of a strict but principled life.
Law No. 24303, by establishing National Gaucho Day, also laid the foundations for the establishment of the National Gaucho Committee in 1996. This organization, which operates under the orbit of the National Secretariat of Culture, has the main goal of promoting and preserving the cultural manifestations of the Gaucho.
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At the national and local levels, the celebration is evident through various events that seek to celebrate gaucho traditions. These include folkloric festivals, Creole skills such as horse riding and cattle ranching, gaucho parades, paellas, and Creole barbecue performances. These celebrations are especially important in rural areas and in provinces with strong roots in rural culture.