National holiday in Chile

Meaning and history

On 18 September 1810, an open council in Santiago led to the formation of the First Government Junta. Its members swore loyalty to King Ferdinand VII, but the Junta’s creation gave local leaders a first measure of self-government and is regarded as the beginning of Chile’s independence process.[2]

Chile’s 1915 Law 2,977 listed 18 September as a holiday commemorating national independence. The law’s original text also named 19 September as a day honoring the Army and Navy; it is historical evidence of the holiday’s legal roots, not the current full holiday code.[1]

A fixed date and additional September holidays

The National Holiday is observed on 18 September each year. A separate rule provides an additional holiday on Monday 17 September when 18 and 19 September fall on Tuesday and Wednesday, or on Friday 20 September when they fall on Wednesday and Thursday. Another rule adds Friday 17 September when 18 and 19 September fall on Saturday and Sunday. These rules add a day; they do not move the National Holiday from 18 September.[4][5]

How people celebrate

Fiestas Patrias celebrations include fondas and ramadas, temporary venues where people gather for music, singing and dancing. Cueca, danced with a handkerchief and rhythmic footwork, is a traditional dance of the festivities; Chile Travel also describes cumbia as a common part of the celebrations.[3]

Foods associated with the festivities include empanadas de pino, anticuchos and choripán with pebre. Some celebrations also feature chicha or the drink called terremoto. Public spaces and rural areas may host food stalls, craft sellers, dancing and outdoor music.[3]

Work and shopping

The date is a public holiday. Chile’s general labor rules provide rest on statutory holidays for workers whose schedules are not legally exempt; people whose work is exempt from Sunday and holiday rest may still work.[6]

For retail workers, 18 September is an obligatory, non-waivable holiday, subject to listed exceptions such as restaurants, entertainment venues, fuel stations and certain pharmacies. The rule gives workers in some excepted businesses a right to this rest at least once every two years with the same employer. This protects workers’ rest; it does not itself require every shop to close, and opening hours can vary.[7]