National Gaucho Day in Argentina

It is in commemoration of the publication of the works El Gaucho Martín Fierro (1872) and La vuelta de Martín Fierro (1879), written by Argentine author José Hernández.

In 1872 José Hernández wrote the narrative poem El gaucho Martín Fierro, a work that depicts one of the most representative characters of this part of the region. The author was determined to defend his fellow countrymen from the injustices committed against them. Therefore, in commemoration of this publication, the "National Day of the Gaucho" is celebrated every December 6, with the purpose of rescuing and spreading the gaucho cultural manifestations.

The date was made official on December 15, 1993, through Law No. 24303. Decree 1096/96, as part of that law, provides for the creation of a National Gaucho Commission, within the scope of the then Secretariat of Culture of the Nation, to carry out actions and events leading to the celebration of the "National Day of the Gaucho" (Día Nacional del Gaucho).

The play tells the story of a gaucho from the Pampa region who, due to the social injustice of the historical context, becomes a gaucho matrero (outlaw). It narrates the independent, heroic and self-sacrificing character of the gaucho.