Why is Children's Day on the same day as Our Lady of Aparecida?

Do you know why Children's Day is on the same day as Our Lady of Aparecida? Come and learn more about the two dates and understand whether or not there is any connection between them!

As everyone knows, a holiday every now and then is always good, right? These dates are great opportunities to take a break from the routine and rest a little.

But what happens when two holidays fall on the same day? Although rare, these things do happen. And this October is just one of those times!

We are talking about Children's Day and Our Lady of Aparecida Day. Despite being very different, both dates – which are celebrated on October 12th – are two of the most traditional holidays of the year.

But is the fact that these two emblematic dates are celebrated on the same day a mere coincidence or was it something planned? That's what we're going to find out together here!

Throughout the text, we will learn more about some of the particularities of each of them and, in addition, better understand the history and the reason – or reasons – behind the dates sharing the same day.

And before we continue, we want to know what your guess is! After all, is there a connection between the two holidays or is the fact that they are celebrated on the same day just a big coincidence?

How did Children's Day come about?

To better understand the coincidence behind the dates, we need to go back in time a little. Let's go back almost 100 years, to 1923.

On October 12, 1923, the city of Rio de Janeiro was hosting the South American Children's Congress.

At that time, Rio de Janeiro was chosen as the host city for the event because it was the country's federal capital.

And it was at this event focused on childhood that Children's Day took its first steps.

The person responsible for this feat was a politician from Nova Friburgo called Galdino do Valle Filho. 

Initially, Galdino instituted the law in Brazil, creating the national day in celebration of children.

But, noticing the impact of the congress and all the discussions that the law created was causing, Galdino do Valle Filho – who had just been elected federal deputy – proposed an official law about the day.

At the time, the President of the Republic was Arthur Bernardes, and he was responsible for sanctioning Decree 4,867, making the date official.

And it was in 1924 that October 12th became officially known as Children's Day throughout Brazil.

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And how did Our Lady of Aparecida Day come about?

Now that we have explored a little more about the origin and events behind the famous Children's Day, it is time to learn about the facts that gave rise to the holiday of Our Lady of Aparecida.

Only after knowing the origins of both dates will we be able to understand a little better the connection between both holidays.

In case you didn't know, the saint is considered the patron saint of our country. But despite this relationship between the religious figure and Brazil being something that has been public knowledge since 1930, it is not since then that the date has been considered a holiday. Quite the opposite.

In fact, Our Lady of Aparecida only 'won' her own holiday 50 years later, in 1980.

It was during a visit by the Pope – who at the time was Pope John Paul II – to our country that the date was made official.

At the time, the most important figure within the Catholic Church was responsible for issuing a papal decree to make Brazil's patron saint's day official.

And it was João Figueiredo – the acting president of the Republic at the time – who was responsible for making October 12th a national holiday dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida.

Why is Children's Day on the same day as Our Lady of Aparecida?

After learning a little more about the history behind both Children's Day and Our Lady of Aparecida Day, I bet you must be wondering what the connection is between the dates and why they share the same day as October 12th.

After all, as we can see throughout today's text, the origin of both dates is considerably different in time – Children's Day in 1924 and Our Lady of Aparecida Day in 1980.

To the disappointment of those who were expecting a more tangible connection or an event that would be responsible for uniting the dates, I regret to inform you that this sharing of dates is nothing more than a coincidence. 

Analyzing the history and events behind both celebrations, it is not possible to find any kind of connection between them that justifies the coincidence.

Conclusion 

So, did you already know about this connection between the two dates and the reasons behind the fact that they are celebrated on the same day?

In many cases where different holidays – which apparently have no connection whatsoever – end up falling on the same day, it may even seem like a coincidence.

But if we stop to analyze the main historical facts behind these coincidences, we will realize that most of them were previously thought out so that the date that came later would be celebrated together with the first.

Furthermore, we can also see that knowing a little more about holidays – both those of Brazilian origin and those that were 'imported' from other countries or cultures here – is a great way to learn a little more about history from different angles, ensuring that we can learn more about the past.

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