Paraguay's Independence Day is celebrated on May 14 as a national holiday coupled with the National Day of Paraguay, or Día de la Independencia Nacional, on May 15.

The independence of Paraguay from Spain was officially declared on May 14, 1811, after a bloodless revolution led by José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia resulted in the withdrawal of Spanish forces.

On May 15, Paraguay became the second independent nation in the new world, after the United States. Francia became the first President of Paraguay, ruling from 1814 to 1840.

Mother's Day

In Paraguay, Mother's Day is also celebrated on May 15, in honor of native heroine Juana María De Lara, an emissary of the revolutionaries and the first woman to celebrate independence by carrying a bouquet of red, white and blue flowers that later inspired the colors of Paraguay's flag.