Overview
- Across Argentina, families traditionally assemble Christmas trees on December 8 as the country marks the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
- The tree commonly stays up until January 6, known locally as Three Kings’ Day.
- Current explainers trace the practice to pre-Christian solstice rites later reinterpreted by Christianity, with evergreens symbolizing eternal life and lights representing Christ.
- Coverage notes a widely told Martin Luther legend about bringing illuminated branches indoors in the 1500s, presented as tradition rather than established fact.
- Local histories point to early Argentine displays around 1807 and sometimes link the December 8 timing to Pope Pius IX’s 1854 proclamation, while public lightings and family rituals continue today.