Wherever you go in Costa Rica, there is bound to be a special event – a gala or an event or better yet a festival. If you want to immerse yourself to what is happening culturally and meet interesting locals, join in the fiesta.
Festivals are a vital part of Costa Rican culture. They are mostly religious in nature due to its being a Catholic country. The listing below rounds up the main holidays and festivals in Costa Rica.
The Costa Ricans’ celebratory mood continues well into the new year. On New Years Day (January 1), the locals clean house to ward off bad luck. Street parties are held with music, dancing, food and drinks. Activities are centered in downtown San Jose, Buenos Aires and Puntarenas. Fireworks light up the cities at night.
Fiesta de los Diablitos (Festival of the Little Devils) takes place during the second half of February in the village of Boruca in Rey Curre, south of San Pedro. This festival re-enacts the battle between the toros (Spanish troops) and the diablitos (Boruca Indians). Participants wear hand-covered masks and traditional costumes.
The religious celebration, Dia de San Jose (Day of San Jose) is observed every March 19 in all towns and neighborhoods with the name San Jose. In San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, expect the Ticos to dress up for the city’s most important party of the year. The fiesta features lots of good food, music, rides, horse parades and Tico-style bullfights were bulls are teased but not harmed. This is also the traditional day to visit the volcano.
Semana Santa (Holy Week) falls on the last week of March until the beginning of April. One of the main attractions over the week is the elaborate processions all over the country leading up to Easter Sunday. Some residents head off to the beaches while others choose to stay home and join the religious celebration which usually includes masses and processions.
The 11th of April, Dia de Juan Santamaria (Juan Santamaria Day) is the day Costa Ricans commemorate the death of their national hero, Juan Santamaria, who fought in the Battle of Rivas in 1856 against the troops of William Walkers. The week-long festivity includes band parades, dancing, live concerts and food. This is an official holiday.
As in most countries around the world, May 1st is Dia de los Trabajadores (Workers’ Day). On this day, the Costa Rican president gives his yearly “state of the nation address”. The city of Limon celebrates this day with parties, dances and cricket matches.
Fiesta de la Virgen del Mar (Festival of the Virgin of the Sea) is held on the Saturday closest to July 16. This popular celebration in Puntarenas consists of a colorful regatta of well-adorned fishing boats carrying an image of La Virgen del Monte Carmelo, the city’s patron saint, in the Nicoya Gulf. Special masses, dances, sports events, parades and fireworks display accompany the festival.
On July 25, Costa Rica celebrates Dia de Guanacaste (Guanacaste Day), the annexation of Guanacaste to Costa Rica. Street fiestas, folk dancing, horse parades, rodeos, traditional bull fights and cattle shows especially in the northwest region of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula enliven up this special day.
Costa Rica honors its patron saint, La Virgen de los Angeles also known as “La Negrita” on August 2 with a countrywide pilgrimage (many on foot) from San Jose and elsewhere in the country to La Basilica de Cartago.
September 15 is Independence Day. The nationwide festivity starts with parades and culminates with the arrival of the Freedom Torch in Cartago delivered by relay runners all the way from Nicaragua.
Dia de los Muertos (All Souls Day) on November 2 is observed across Costa Rica with Catholic masses and pilgrimages to graveyards.
Tope Caballos, parade of horses in downtown San Jose the day after Christmas is the country’s largest horse parade. Elaborately attired horse riders with their horses from all over Costa Rica bring their best horses. A carnival celebration follows and the Festival de La Luz (Festival of Lights) commences along the parade route that same night.
On Christmas Day, December 25, family gatherings and Christmas Mass take center stage.
Get a full vacation experience, participate in Costa Rica’s many Festivals!