Observance guideSource-backed

Día de la Virgen de Caacupé2026 · Date · History

Paraguayan law, tourism/culture authorities and Catholic institutional sources verify December 8 as the recurring national holiday and major Caacupé Marian pilgrimage festival; current statutory recognition is later than the older devotion.

Annual dateReviewed 2026-10-01Sensitive topic

About Día de la Virgen de Caacupé

Paraguay observes Día de la Virgen de Caacupé on December 8 as a national holiday and major Catholic pilgrimage festival.

The celebration centers on Nuestra Señora de los Milagros de Caacupé and the Basilica-Sanctuary in Caacupé.

Why Día de la Virgen de Caacupé matters

For many Paraguayan Catholics, the festival is a major expression of Marian devotion, pilgrimage, prayer and national religious culture.

The day coincides with the Roman Catholic Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and is observed in Paraguay under the Caacupé devotion.

History of Día de la Virgen de Caacupé

Paraguay’s current national-holiday law lists December 8 as Día de la Virgen de Caacupé and keeps it on that calendar date each year.

National tourism and cultural institutions describe a recurring annual pilgrimage and festival centered on Caacupé.

Catholic institutional sources likewise identify December 8 with the feast of Nuestra Señora de los Milagros de Caacupé.

The devotional tradition predates the 2025 holiday law, so that statute is treated as current legal recognition rather than the origin of the festival; legendary origin stories are not presented as proven fact.

Institutional timeline

How the observance developed

This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.

  1. Recognition

    Lists December 8, Día de la Virgen de Caacupé, as a national holiday that remains on its calendar date each year.

    Congress of Paraguay / Republic of Paraguay · Law No. 7544/2025

  2. Recognition

    Declared the Festividad de la Virgen de los Milagros de Caacupé national intangible cultural heritage.

    National Secretariat of Culture of Paraguay · Resolution SNC No. 791/2025

  3. Current stewardship

    Catholic Church in Paraguay, centered on the Basilica-Sanctuary of Caacupé, with supporting public authorities

    Catholic and Paraguayan government sources document continuing novena, pilgrimage, liturgical and public-coordination activity centered on Caacupé.

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Current facilitator / coordinatorCatholic Church in Paraguay, centered on the Basilica-Sanctuary of Caacupé, with supporting public authoritiesCatholic and Paraguayan government sources document continuing novena, pilgrimage, liturgical and public-coordination activity centered on Caacupé.
Why this exact date?December 8 is the feast date used for Nuestra Señora de los Milagros de Caacupé and coincides with the Roman Catholic Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.Paraguayan Catholic and government sources consistently identify December 8 as the Caacupé feast date.
7 fields not established in reviewed sources
Originator / proposerNo single historically verified originator of the recurring festival is established; devotional legend is not converted into provenance fact.
Proclaiming / establishing bodyCurrent legislation is later recognition and is not treated as proof of the original establishing body of the religious festival.
Original establishing instrument / decisionLaw No. 7544/2025 is current statutory holiday recognition, while the older recurring devotion predates it.
Original instrument adoption / decision dateNo original festival-establishing instrument adoption date is established.
First observanceThe first recurring annual festival is not established with sufficient precision in the reviewed sources.
Former nameNo formal former recurring festival name is established.
Former dateNo verified former recurring date is established.

Later institutional actions

Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.

RecognitionLists December 8, Día de la Virgen de Caacupé, as a national holiday that remains on its calendar date each year.Congress of Paraguay / Republic of Paraguay · Law No. 7544/2025 · 2025The law verifies current holiday status and is later recognition of an older religious tradition.
RecognitionDeclared the Festividad de la Virgen de los Milagros de Caacupé national intangible cultural heritage.National Secretariat of Culture of Paraguay · Resolution SNC No. 791/2025 · 1 December 2025This is later heritage recognition and does not establish the original festival.
Source qualityHigh confidence
4 Primary institutional / legal
View all sources ↓
Names

Also known as

Virgin of Caacupé Day

How to Observe Día de la Virgen de Caacupé

01

Participate in Mass, novena or pilgrimage activities if appropriate to your faith and circumstances.

02

Follow current Basilica, church and public-safety guidance when traveling to Caacupé.

03

Learn about the festival through Paraguayan cultural, tourism and Catholic institutions.

04

Respect pilgrims, residents and religious spaces when photographing or visiting.

05

Distinguish documented heritage history from devotional legends whose details vary by source.

Día de la Virgen de Caacupé Facts

Fact 01

The national holiday falls on December 8.

Fact 02

Paraguay’s current holiday law names the day Día de la Virgen de Caacupé.

Fact 03

The celebration centers on the Basilica-Sanctuary in Caacupé.

Fact 04

Government cultural and tourism institutions describe the festival as a major recurring national pilgrimage tradition.

Fact 05

The current statutory framework is later recognition of an older religious tradition.

Classification

Topic and context

Faith, Tradition & Spirituality →
Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

  • Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
  • Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
  • Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
  • Faith Context Respect.
Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is Día de la Virgen de Caacupé?

8 December The documented recurrence rule is: 8 December.

Does Día de la Virgen de Caacupé fall on the same date every year?

Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.

Is Día de la Virgen de Caacupé an official public holiday?

The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Paraguay / national holiday. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.

Who established or recognizes Día de la Virgen de Caacupé?

The documented basis is: Paraguayan law, tourism/culture authorities and Catholic institutional sources verify December 8 as the recurring national holiday and major Caacupé Marian pilgrimage festival; current statutory recognition is later than the older devotion.. Supporting evidence includes Paraguay BACN — Law No. 7544/2025. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.

Is Día de la Virgen de Caacupé international or country-specific?

This observance is specific to Paraguay. Its fuller verified scope is: Paraguay / national holiday.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-01.

When is Virgin of Caacupé Day?

It is observed on December 8.

Is December 8 a national holiday in Paraguay?

Yes. Paraguay’s current national-holiday law lists Día de la Virgen de Caacupé on December 8.

What is the main religious focus?

The celebration honors Nuestra Señora de los Milagros de Caacupé and centers on Catholic pilgrimage, novena and liturgical traditions.

Did the 2025 holiday law create the festival?

No. Government and church sources document a much older recurring devotion; the 2025 statute is current legal recognition.

Explore further

Related observances with useful context

More in this topic →

Related observances are selected from shared topics, scope and documented connections. Where an important difference is known, it is labeled separately so “related” is not mistaken for “the same observance.”

Same date

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