History of the tradition

One day of July of 1926, in Don Francisco A. Colombo´s presses, was printed the book of Ricardo Güiraldes called "Don Segundo Sombra"; el pago de Areco began to traffic by the first tracts of a print that it would end in the creation of the tradition´s day. In 1939, the Creole Park and The Museum were inagurated. That same year, by the municipal intendant of San Antonio de Areco initiative, Don José Antonio Güiraldes and the government of the county of Buenos Aires, Dr. Manuel Fresco, instituted in his territory the Tradition´s day. The law N° 4756 maintain their original validity and it orders their celebration in San A. de Areco and Luján. A later law, presented in the provincial legislature by the senator Jorge J. Areces, approved in 1984, adds an article to that law, preparing that our town will be permanent headquarters of the Tradition´s day.

The first party

The first party of the Tradition´s day in 1939, was carried out in the rustic intimacy, with the participation of the farmers and compatriots of the surroundings. The Creole Park lacked of the facilities and the infrastructure that prepares at the present time. It didn't exist the Beach of Taming and Dexterity, the jineteada of reserved ponies was carried out before or among a public spectator, which used to be separated of the mounted animal only the wise distance. A wooden municipal stage, was used as place of privileged location.

The parade or the gauchos' step, is institutionalized and made a distinctive custom in a picturesque way. There was not such a parade in the program. The compatriots ate their asado at noon and from there, by horse, went to the Creole Park. That inaugural year of the party the municipal intendant's friend, a farmer of the south, attended to the feast. he carried an Argentinean flag of good size, but he didn't have bigger acceptance.

However, the guest's quality of the standard-bearer and the gift of the organizers' people made that that gaucho of rich garments and regal elegance passed intermingled in the groups with the flag. The following year the party took place in La Plata. But in 1941, it was headquarters San Antonio de Areco again. Then, it happened something as accidental as unusual, in front to the intendency they had met authorities and companies to see to pass the gauchos heading for the Creole park.

A messenger of the municipality saw the horsemen come and he remembered what happened in 1939. He didn't see anybody with flag and he ran to the inside of the house from where he returned with a flag tied in their horn, left there by a school. He gave it to the first one that found, and this, to the first gaucho by horse that had close. Since these happened, it settled a custom, that is already a rite: the pre standard-bearer horseman and their escort comes out heading for the parade and he arrive to the official box, where it is waiting for him the authority of more range who among the applauses of the concurrence, gives him the parade flag which recently then transforms him into the standard-bearer.

The first parades were made around the Main Square. The asados were served in the vents installed in the old Quinta de Guerrico. There they play guitars and danced. At night, the party culminated in the Hotel Plaza, in the corner of Don Segundo Sombra and Ruiz de Arellano streets.