The UPD: the celebration night that marks Argentine teenagers

In recent weeks, as the start of the school year approaches in most Argentine provinces, conversations about a tradition involving teenagers in their final years of high school are growing. This is the UPD — Last First Day — a ritual that has become a recurring topic among specialists, families, and educational institutions. This phenomenon encompasses a practice as characteristic of Argentine youth culture as it is socially complex, combining celebratory elements with risk factors that concern responsible adults.

The custom involves 5th and 6th-year students arriving at school without having slept, after spending the night before at a nightclub or party space. The declared goal is to symbolically mark the farewell to a vital stage. Although its origins date back more than 15 years in Mendoza and San Juan, today UPD is virtually universal in secondary schools across the country, from Buenos Aires City to inland provinces. Social pressure is undeniable: “Everyone goes,” “That’s just how it is,” “I don’t want to be left out,” are phrases teenagers repeat to justify their participation.

A tradition that grew from Mendoza over 15 years ago

What started as a regional custom has become a national phenomenon. Initially, UPD was conceived as a rite of passage, a way to mark the threshold between adolescence and adulthood. However, over the years, the practice has evolved, adding components that raise concerns among families and school management teams. Sociologist and psychoanalyst Marité Ferrari reflects on this paradox: “These rituals do not guarantee the passage because daily coexistence with families is extending more and more. It’s a paradox that teenagers try to mark a before and after, but remain under the influence of the adult world.”

The role of families: from resignation to active organization

Faced with a practice perceived as inevitable, many families have shifted from resignation to direct intervention. In various WhatsApp groups and organized meetings, parents coordinate efforts to try to minimize risks. The measures they implement are varied and increasingly sophisticated: they arrange early visits to the venues where parties will be held to review safety protocols, set limits on alcohol consumption, and design systems of adult supervision rotating throughout the night.

Some more structured groups have gone as far as calling medical teams to the venues, establishing call systems to pick up teenagers who are in no condition to stay, and even reserving “recovery” rooms. Discussions among parents explore technical issues like permits and emergency exits, as well as broader reflections on limits, autonomy, and shared responsibility.

Real risks: data on alcohol consumption among teenagers

Available figures show that alcohol consumption among teenagers is widespread. According to the Observatory on Addictions and Problematic Consumptions of the Ombudsman’s Office of Buenos Aires Province, 71.5% of teenagers have started drinking alcohol before age 15. Even more concerning is that 13% of respondents reported engaging in “binge drinking,” that is, consuming large amounts of alcohol in very short periods.

Experts point out that a common practice before UPD is the “pre-party”: gatherings organized at homes or parks where the circulation of alcoholic beverages is freer, without regulation or supervision. This initial stage of celebration has immediate consequences: some teenagers become ill before reaching the main venues, others vomit or lose the ability to stand, and many do not even make it into the nightclub they were looking forward to. Parents who have accompanied their children during UPD, like Marilina and Rodrigo, report this: “We had to call ambulances to attend to very unwell kids. It’s senseless and normalized.”

Expert analysis: a growth ritual or an escape mechanism?

Psychologist and family specialist Alejandro Schujman offers a critical interpretation. For him, “today, teenagers are growing lonelier and losing common sense. As adults, we gave them control over complex issues, and they are not equipped to manage this passage healthily.” According to Schujman, “getting drunk or intoxicated during UPD night is not a healthy way to celebrate. Most families accept it with resignation and concern, although I see a minority supporting it, which I call the ‘cool dad syndrome.’”

From another perspective, psychoanalyst Paula Vissani, founder of “La Cosa Freudiana,” offers a different reading. She states, “there is something of the anxiety involved in the ritual, in the awareness of passing time and loss. UPD is an event aimed at crossing this passage, which generates a certain nostalgia.” Vissani emphasizes that UPD challenges adults to actively engage: “It’s important for each family to listen carefully to how each teenager relates to UPD. The celebration can function as a rite, but we need to consider whether it truly has the symbolic status of a collective ritual.”

The psychoanalyst highlights that other institutional milestones mark passages, such as diploma ceremonies or graduation events, which “are institutionally sustained and clearly mark the change of state: from students to graduates.” Joaquín, a 17-year-old student at a private school in Palermo, offers a different youth perspective: “I don’t need alcohol to have a good time. But I understand that for many, it helps loosen up, especially during UPD.”

Public policies and new regulations to protect teenagers

Given the scale of the phenomenon, various educational jurisdictions have implemented legislative and procedural measures. The Buenos Aires City Ministry of Education recently established a regulation that counts as a misconduct for students arriving at school “in inappropriate conditions.” The measure aims to exert institutional pressure on participation in UPD without explicitly banning it.

In Mendoza, the UPD 360 program was introduced, led by the General Directorate of Schools, targeting all public and private secondary schools. This program adopts a comprehensive approach based on three pillars: prior support with family guides; protocols for attending to students showing signs of intoxication (who will be cared for and picked up by their parents); and educational activities in classrooms to reflect on the experience.

Meanwhile, venues that organize parties for schools have set their own regulations. These nightclubs close events under a private party format, allowing only entry to authorized individuals or those on lists. They also explicitly reserve the right to refuse entry and to end the event (typically between 1 and 7 AM) if they detect risky situations.

The cost of the ritual: a reflection on shared responsibilities

Closing a nightclub for such an event—including DJ, security staff, and medical coverage—costs between $25,000 and $40,000 per person. This figure shows that the financial resources to carry out UPD mainly come from adults, creating a paradox that experts have reflected on: teenagers seeking independence, but whose celebration entirely depends on decisions and funding from their parents and institutions.

As the new school year begins again, news about teenagers and their transition rituals will remain a central topic in schools and homes. UPD represents a convergence point where perspectives on autonomy, protection, responsibility, and the meaning of celebrating the end of a stage collide. Adults wonder how much they should intervene; teenagers seek to affirm their freedom; and between both groups, stories are woven of a generation trying to find its own path toward maturity.