Every May 18th is celebrated in Argentina the Day of the Escarapela, one of the oldest and most representative patriotic insignia of our national identity.

The cockade, with its light blue and white colours, was officially adopted on 18 February 1812 by the First Triumvirate at the request of Manuel Belgrano, who proposed it as a badge for the soldiers of the revolutionary army, with the aim of unifying their clothing and differentiating them from the royalist troops.

The Day of the Escarapela was instituted in 1935 by the National Council of Education and, later, incorporated to the school calendar in 1951, with the purpose of promoting the knowledge and appreciation of our patriotic emblems from the classrooms.

Traditionally, Argentines wear the cockade on the left side of the chest, near the heart, especially during May Week, 20 June (Flag Day), 9 July (Independence Day) and other patriotic dates.

This insignia represents the struggle for freedom, the desire for unity and the identity of a people who chose to forge their own destiny.