Let’s imagine this scenario: you plan to visit Costa Rica and you want to explore its culture, but you have no idea about Costa Rica’s festivals and public holidays and the locals’ ways of celebrating them. In this article, we will walk you through this and get you more acquainted with the beautiful Costa Rican culture. And should you require more details and information, please contact us anytime at CostaRicaLandToday.

Costa Rica is a Catholic country, and many of its festivals and public holidays are based on religious events and celebrations. During the public holidays, all businesses, services, banks, post offices, and government offices are closed. Costa Rica shuts down entirely during the biggest holiday time, Easter Holy Week (from Holy Thursday until after Easter Day). Similarly, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is also a standstill for most businesses and services, as most Costa Ricans take this entire Christmas week off as an unofficial holiday. Of course, tourist businesses are the only exception, as Easter Holy Week and Christmas time are the two most profitable periods in Costa Rica’s tourism industry.

You will see the Ticos celebrate their festivals and public holidays by going on colorful religious parades, dancing till the sunset, and firing fireworks and firecrackers.

The following is a list of the festivals and official (and unofficial) public holidays in Costa Rica and how the locals celebrate them:

January:

• New Year’s Day (January 1^st): Celebrated with a big dance in San Jose’s Parque Central. (Public holiday – day off for most businesses and services).
• Fiesta de Palmares (first two weeks of the year): Celebrated with traditional bullfights, live music, folk dancing, and carnivals in the town of Palmares.
• Fiesta de Santa Cruz (second week of January): Celebrated with bullfights, a parade, a dinner party, and fireworks in Santa Cruz on the Nicoya peninsula.
• Día de Santo Cristo de Esquipulas: A popular religious festival in Alajuelita, Dulce Nombre, and Santa Cruz that is celebrated with fiestas and parades to the iron cross where blessings are given.

February:

• Cattle Exhibit (first week of February): Celebrated with livestock shows, agricultural and industrial fairs, and bull-teasing in San Isidro de El General.
• The Festival of the Little Devils (Fiesta de los Diablitos) (mid-February): Celebrated in San Isidro de El General with a reenactment of the battle scene between the Toro (Spanish troops) and the Diablitos (Boruca Indians) with wooden masks and traditional costumes.
• Carnival and Festival del Mar: A week of local celebrations in Puntarenas and Quepos including street fairs, dancing, and sporting events.
• Sun Festival (last week of February):An annual gathering to promote the use of solar energy with food cooked in solar ovens. A fire ceremony is also held to celebrate Maya New Year (February 25^th).

March:

• Día de los Boyeros (Ox-cart Drivers’ Day) (second Sunday of March): Celebrated with a beautiful, colorful parade of ox-carts with traditional costumes, food, and dancing in San Antonio de Escazú.
• International Arts Festival (second week of March):Celebrated with dances, concerts, and exhibits in the Central Valley.
• National Orchid Show:A show of over 1500 local and foreign species and hybrids in San José.
• Pilgrimage to Ujarrás (mid-March):Celebrated with a religious procession from Cartago to the ruins of Costa Rica’s first church in Ujarrás.
• Tierra Blanca (March 15^th): Farmer’s Day.
• St. Joseph’s Day, patron saint of the San Jose province (March 19^th): The Metropolitan Cathedral celebrates the day by offering special religious services.

April:

• Easter Holy Week (Semana Santa) (date varies annually): In 2008, Maundy Thursday was on March 20^th, Good Friday was on March 21^st, Holy Saturday was on March 22^nd, and Easter Day was on March 23^rd. In 2009, Easter Holy Week will be from April 10^th to April 13^th. The week commemorates the passion of Jesus Christ, and special religious services are held all over the country. (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed for the entire week).
• Juan Santamaría Day (April 11^th): The day commemorates Juan Santamaría, the national hero who fought at the battle of Rivas against the Nicaraguan forces of the American invader William Walker in 1856. (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed for the day).
• University Week (last week of April): University of Costa Rica celebrates the event with concerts, exhibits, and parades.

May:

• Labor Day (Día de los Trabajadores) (May 1^st): Celebrated with parades all over Costa Rica and with cricket matches and picnics in Puerto Limón. (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed for the day).
• Fiesta Pattronale Desamparados: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• San Isidro Labrador’s Day (Día de San Isidro Labrador) (May 15^th): The day commemorates the patron saint of farmers with blessings of animals and crops, street fairs, and ox-cart parades across Escazú and San Isidro.
• Fiestas Pattronales San Marcos de Tarrazu and Coronado: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).

June:

• Corpus Christi (date varies annually): A moveable feast celebrated in Catholic countries. In 2008, it was on May 22^nd. In 2009, it will be on June 11^th.
• Fiestas Pattronales Trinidad de Moravia, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Leon Cortes, and San Jeronimo: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• Día de los Padres (third Sunday of June): Father’s Day.
• Fiesta de San Juan de Tibas: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• St. Peter and St. Paul’s Day (June 29^th): Marked by religious processions and masses.

July:

• Fiesta de la Virgen del Mar (Virgin of the Sea Festival) (Saturday closest to July 16^th): Marked by processions of decorated fishing boats carrying a statue of la Virgen del Monte Carmelo (the city’s patron saint). The celebrations include a week of parades, dances, parades, and fireworks.
• Guanacaste Day (July 25^th): The day marks the Annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua in 1824. (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed for the day).
• Mango Festival: Celebrated with parades, music, and craft fairs in Alajuela.

August:

• Virgin of Los Angeles Day (Día de la Virgen de Los Angeles) (August 2^nd): One of the most important religious celebrations in Costa Rica – the celebration of the patron saint of Costa Rica. Romeros (pilgrims) from all over the country walk hundreds of miles to the Basilica (the Virgin’s Church) in Cartago to pay promises and make pleas to the Virgin Mary and bring holy water to their family and loved ones. (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed for the day).
• Fiesta Ciudad Colon (San Carlos): Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• Mother’s Day and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (August 15^th): This is a day that celebrates mothers and the rise of the Virgin Mary to Heaven. (An official public holiday).
• Fiesta Pattronale Aserri: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• National Parks Day: Celebrated in all major national parks in Costa Rica.
• San Ramón’s Day (August 30^th): Marked by parades and processions to the San Ramón church.
• Semana Cultural Afrocostarricense: Marked by international Afro-Costa Rican celebrations, lectures, discussions, and culture exhibits.

September:

• Independence Day (September 15^th): Marked by patriotic parades throughout the country celebrating Costa Rica’s independence from Spain in 1821. (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed).

October:

• Fiesta Pattronale San Francisco de Dos Ríos: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• Founding Day of San Isidro de El General (October 9^th): A local festival in San Isidro de El General marking the founding of the town. Celebrated with street fairs, dancing, and sporting events.
• Columbus Day (Dia de la Raza) (October 12^th): Commemorates the arrival of Columbus in the new world. Marked by a special carnival that takes place in the week prior to October 12^th. (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed for the day).
• Fiesta Pattronale Escazú: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• National Artisan Fair (date varies annually): The fair, organized by the Ministry of Culture and the San José Municipality, is a showcase of some of Costa Rica’s finest craftsmanship.
• Halloween: Relatively new to Costa Rica but gaining popularity among youngsters who pick up on the concept of trick-or-treat.

November:

• All Souls Day (Día de los Muertos) (November 2^nd): The day commemorates loved ones who have passed away. Families go to cemeteries to pay respect for the dead, and special religious services are held.
• Coffee-Picking Contests: Local communities throughout Costa Rica sponsor coffee-picking contests.
• El Desfile de Carretas (last week of November): A big parade of ox-carts that takes place in San José.

December:

• Festival de la Luz (early December): San José’s week-long festival of lights is marked by lighting displays, concerts, and late-night fireworks.
• Fiesta Pattronale Pavas: Celebrated with a street fair with music, dancing, traditional food, and bullfights (no bloodshed).
• Immaculate Conception, Fiesta de los Negritos (December 8^th): Was a national holiday, but no longer so. Celebrated with religious processions, masses, and costumed dancing.
• Fiesta de la Yeguita (week of December 12^th): Celebrated with bullfights and a parade followed by a party in the Parque Central of Nicoya with food, concerts, and fireworks.
• Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass): Celebrated by Catholic churches on Christmas Eve.
• Christmas Day (December 25^th): Family celebrations are held with trips to the beach and over-consumption of apples and grapes! (Public holiday – all businesses and services are closed).
• Festejos Populares (Year-End Festival) (December 25^th – December 31^st): Marked by food, bull-teasing, music, and fireworks in the amusement parks and fairgrounds of San José at Zapote.

As always, at CostaRicaLandToday, we are happy to bring you closer to the indigenous Costa Rican culture, answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with much more detailed information about these festivals and public holiday, the history behind them, and how the Ticos celebrate them throughout the country.