Paraguay celebrates Independence Day every 14 May. The observance looks back to the withdrawal of Spanish forces from Paraguay on 14 May, 1811, during their independence fight. The day after the withdrawal was the first full day of independence, and so, it is also kept as the day of celebration of independence by the Paraguayan people.
|2022||14 May||Sat||Independence Day|
|2023||14 May||Sun||Independence Day|
|2024||14 May||Tue||Independence Day|
|Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.|
The colonial centre of Paraguay was the 16th-Century settlement of Asuncion, which is still the nation’s capital to this day. The region became an agricultural centre as well as a centre of the Jesuit order of the Roman Catholic Church. While the Jesuits were expelled from Spain in 1767, they had a stronghold in Paraguay still, and they played a big role in the independence movement of 1811.
Many in Paraguay gather with family and friends to celebrate Independence Day. They may hold special meals, outdoor barbecues, and football matches, while consuming large quantities of beer or of wine-cola mixtures. Loud music is also blasted at these parties.
“Mate”, or “Yerba”, a traditional herbal drink drunk from a calabash gourd, is also consumed. And you may find “Paraguayan Soup” and many other traditional dishes on the holiday menu.
|2021||15 May||Sat||Independence Day|
|2020||14 May||Thu||Independence Day|
|2019||14 May||Tue||Independence Day|
|2018||14 May||Mon||Independence Day|
|2017||14 May||Sun||Independence Day|