Argentina National Flag
The story of the Argentine National Flag:
On February 27, 1812, the Argentine flag was created and first raised by the Paraná River in the city of Rosario by General Manuel Belgrano, who was one of the main influential figures who had led Argentina to its independence. Some said that
Even though in the beginning the flag created by Belgrano was not accepted by the government, it was later on authorized to be used as a war flag. In 1816, shortly after the declaration of independence on July 9, the Congress of Tucumán also officially adopted the light blue and white flag as the National flag.
In 1818, the image of the sun was added to the centre of the flag. The sun, which is referred to as the “Sol de Mayo” (Sun of May), bears a human face and has 32 rays (16 straight and 16 wavy alternating). This Inca sun symbol was also used and appeared on the first coin
The light blue and white with the sun symbol remains as the official national ceremonial flag of Argentina to this day. It is used in all official and formal settings. The flag without the sun is still considered as a recognized patriotic symbol but it’s only for decorative purposes in informal environments.
To honour General Belgrano as one of the Founding Fathers of Argentina and the creator of the National flag, June 20 (the date Belgrano passed away in 1820) was declared in 1938 as the nation’s Flag Day and a public holiday.