San Salvador Day Date in the current year: August 3, 2024

San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, was founded in 1525 by Spanish conquistadors Gonzalo de Alvarado and Diego de Holguin under the orders of Pedro de Alvado, who was responsible for the conquest of Central America. The settlement was named after Jesus Christ, the Divine Savior (the name “San Salvador” is translated from Spanish as “Holy Savior”).

A year after its foundation, the settlement was destroyed by indigenous population. Two years later, Diego de Alvarado refounded it in a slightly new location. The town was relocated once more in the 1840s because the new site had more space and more fertile land. The original location of San Salvador is now the archaeological site of Ciudad Vieja; it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 1992.

The population of San Salvador remained relatively small until the early 20th century, largely because of the intense seismic activity in the region. The city is adjacent to the San Salvador volcano, and its eruptions and subsequent earthquakes have ruined considerable portions of San Salvador more than once. The population of El Salvador began to grow slowly but steadily in the 20th century. As of 2019, the estimated population of the San Salvador agglomeration is over 1.8 million people, which is nearly a third of the country’s population.

The period between the 1960s and the 1980s was the golden age of El Salvador in terms of modernization, quality of life, and security. Unfortunately, the further development of the city was hindered by the Salvadoran Civil War. Nevertheless, present-day San Salvador is the most populous city of El Salvador, as well as its political, financial, educational and cultural center. The city has a certain international significance as well. For example, it is home to the Central American Integration System headquarters.

Contrary to what you might expect, San Salvador Day doesn’t mark the city’s foundation anniversary (April 1). Instead, it is celebrated on August 3, several days before the Feast of the Transfiguration, which is a public holiday in El Salvador. San Salvador Day is an official holiday and non-working day in the country’s capital. It is marked with a big parade and other celebratory events.