Paraguay National Day 2027
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About the event
Asunción hosts official ceremonies, while families mark the date with flags, music, traditional food and visits. The holiday often blends civic ceremony with Mother's Day, which is observed on 15 May in Paraguay.
Guaraní is spoken by 90% of Paraguayans — the most widespread Indigenous language in the Americas and co-official with Spanish.
Why this day
Paraguay celebrates Independence Day on 14 and 15 May, marking the 1811 movement that ended Spanish rule. The overnight events in Asunción are remembered as the birth of the nation.
The holiday often blends civic ceremony with Mother's Day, which is observed on 15 May in Paraguay. Family gatherings therefore sit close to patriotic celebration.
Asunción hosts official ceremonies, while families mark the date with flags, music, traditional food and visits. Harp music and Guaraní language give the day a specifically Paraguayan voice.
Timeline
- 1811Independence movement began
- 1811Independence secured from Spain
- 1842Independence formally proclaimed
Key figures
Stay for the event
Check-in 13 May, check-out 15 May 2027 — 2 nights around 14 May 2027. Change the dates to stay longer.
AREA
Find stays in AsunciónGetting there
- Celebratednationwide
- CapitalAsuncion
- Time zonePYT (UTC-4)
Host country
- Currency: Paraguayan guaraní
- Language: Guaraní, Spanish
- Driving: on the right
- Capital: Asuncion
- Phone: +595
- Emergency: 911
- Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz, plugs A/B/C/N
What to eat
Paraguay's national dish — a dense savoury corn cake with cheese and onion, despite its name it is solid, not soup.
Ring-shaped cheese bread made from manioc flour and eggs — eaten for breakfast and sold at every roadside in Paraguay.
Chicken soup with corn flour and cheese dumplings — warming, thick and deeply Paraguayan.
Thin crispy manioc starch pancake with cheese — cooked on a clay griddle, a traditional Paraguayan snack.
Paraguayan barbecue of beef ribs and sausages over wood coals — similar to Argentine asado with its own cuts and seasoning.
Green papaya cooked in sugar syrup until translucent — Paraguay's most beloved traditional dessert.
What to drink
Cold yerba mate drunk with iced water and sometimes medicinal herbs — Paraguay's national drink, consumed all day in the subtropical heat.
Paraguayan sugarcane spirit — consumed straight or mixed in the clericó fruit punch.
Fresh-pressed sugarcane juice — drunk straight from the press at markets and street fairs.
Culture & traditions
Guaraní is spoken by 90% of Paraguayans — the most widespread Indigenous language in the Americas and co-official with Spanish.
Intricate circular lace from Itauguá — spiderweb-patterned textile art that is Paraguay's most distinctive craft.
The Paraguayan harp — a 36-string instrument that plays the national folk music and is heard at every celebration.
Paraguay's carnival season — comparsas dance through the streets of Asunción to cumbia and guarania music.
Coming years
Paraguay National Day 2028
- Sunday 14 May 2028Next event date
Paraguay National Day 2029
- Monday 14 May 2029Event date
Paraguay National Day 2030
- Tuesday 14 May 2030Event date