Holidays and Annual Events in Costa Rica
Costarica celebrates several holidays and lively happenings throughout
the year. Please consult this events calendar only as a general reference,
as dates do change. If you have corrections or anything to add to this info
please let us know, as we are here to help you the travelers!! Thanks and
enjoy.
Annual Holidays Celebrated in Costa Rica
- January/Enero 1 - New Year's Day
- March/Marzo 19 - Saint Joseph's Day
- Holy Week Holy Thursday and Good Friday
- April/Abril 11 - Juan Santamaria Day
- May/Mayo 1 - Labor Day
- May/Mayo University Week (held in San Pedro)
- June/Junio Father's Day (the third Sunday)
- July/Julio 25 - Annexation of Guanacaste Province
- August/Agusto 2 - Virgin of Los Angeles Day
- August/Agusto 15 - Mother's Day
- September/Septiembre 15 - Independence Day
- October/Octubre 12 - Columbus Day - Discovery of America
- October/Octubre 12 - Limón Carnival
- October/Octubre 31 - Halloween
- November/Noviembre 2 - Day of the Dead
- December/Diciembre 8 - Immaculate Conception
- December/Diciembre 25 - Christmas
- December/Diciembre 25 - Feria de Zapote (December 25th to January 2nd)
- December/Diciembre 25 - Fiestas del Fin del Año
Annual Events and Activities in Costa Rica
January/Enero
- Fiestas de Palmares: Early Jan-food, carnival, rides, Bingo, parades,
concerts and more.
- Fiestas de Alajuelita: Week of Jan 15, honor Blach Christ of Esquipulas,
Alajuelita's Patron Saint, with oxcart parade, procession to huge illuminated
cross on the mountain.
- Fiestas de Santa Cruz: Week of Jan 15, honor Black Christ of Esquipulas
with folk dancing, marimbas and more.
- Copa del Café: week long, international tennis tourney for under
18 year olds at Costa Rica Country Club.
February/Febrero
- Cattle Exhibit: First week, San Isidro de El General, Livestock shows,
agricultural and industrial fair, bull-teasing and a rodeo type atmosphere.
- Fiesta of the Diablos: South of San Isidro de El General in Boruca Indian
village of Rey Curré. Recreation of the fight between Indians (diablitos)
and the Spanish (a bull), in which colorful wooden mask and costumes create
the scene. Sale of crafts, dances and fireworks.
- Sun festival: Annual gathering to promote the use of solar energy with
extensive exhibits of solar energy devices. Food cooked in solar ovens,
fire ceremony to celebrate Maya New Year, Feb 25. Last week of the month.
- Puntarenas Carnival: Last week of the month. Fun in the sun.
March/Marzo
- Día del Boyero (Oxcart Drivers Day): Second Sunday of March,
in San Antonio de Escazú. Colorful parade of oxcarts, blessing
of animals and crops by local priests.
- International Arts Festival: Second week of March, in Central Valley.
International theater, dance, concerts, exhibits.
- National Orchid Show: Over 1500 local and foreign species and hybrids
on display in San José.
- Pilgrimage to Ujarrás: Mid-month. Religious procession from Cartago
to the ruins of Costa Rica's first church in Ujarrás.
- Day of San José: 19th, religious celebrations in all pueblos
and neighborhoods of the same name. Traditional day to visit Poás
Volcano.
- Tierra Blanca: March 15. Farmer's Day
- San José: Cattle Show with bullfights, rodeo and horse races
etc.
- San José: Book Fair
April/Abril
- Holy Week: March to April. Dramatic processions depicting the crucifixion
of Christ. San José virtually shuts down Thurs-Sun.
- Juan Santamaría Day: 11th, commemorates Costa Rica's national
hero, a barefoot soldier who heroically died in the battle with William
Walker's troops in 1856. Week long celebrations, bands parades, concerts,
dances.
- University Week: Last week of April. University of Costa Rica. Concerts,
exhibits, parades.
May/Mayo
- Labor Day: May 1. Marches. President gives annual "state of the
nation" address. Congress elects new leaders. In Limón, people
party with picnics, dances, dominoes.
- San Isidro Labrador's Day: 15th. All namesake towns honor this patron
saint of farmers and farm animals with a blessing of animals and crops.
Parades and fairs.
- Escazú, San Isidro: May 15. Oxcart parades.
- Carrera de San Juan: 17th.One of the largest/most popular cross-country
races, with runners covering a very tough 22.5 km course.
June/Junio
- Father's Day: Third Sunday.
July/Julio
- Virgin of the Sea: Sat. Closest to July 16, in Puntarenas. Colorful
regatta of decorated fishing boats and yachts in the Nicoya Gulf salute
Puntarena's Patron Saint, the Virgin of Mt. Carmel. Masses, parades, concerts,
dances, sports events, fireworks.
- Annexation of Guanacaste: 25th. Celebrates Guanacaste's decision to
join Costa Rica instead of Nicaragua in 1824. Fiestas in Liberia, folk
dances, parades, cattle shows, bull teasing, concerts.
- Mango Festival: Alajuela. Parades, music and craft fairs.
August/Augusto
- Virgin of Los Angeles: 2nd. Honors Costa Rica's Patron Saint. La Negrita,
with nationwide pilgrimage to the Basilica in Cartago.
- Mother's Day: 15th. Flowers, candy, special meals for moms.
- San Ramón's Day: 30th. Neighborhood processions carry 30 saints
from neighboring towns to the San Ramón church. "Saint Ramón"
goes dancing through the streets. Parades, fun.
- Semana Cultural Afrocostarricense: International Afro-Costa Rican celebration,
lectures, discussions, culture exhibits.
September/Septimbre
- Independence Day: 15th. Gigantic relay race encompasses the entire
Central America isthmus. Student runners carry the "Freedom Torch"
from Guatemala to Costa Rica. The torch arrives at the colonial capital
of Cartago precisely at 6:00 pm on 14th, and everyone, nationwide, sings
the National Anthem. Kids have nocturnal homemade-lantern parades. Uniformed
school children parade the next day.
October/Octubre
- San Isidro de El General: 9th. Celebration of the city's founding.
- Limón Carnival: Week-long street dances, parades, concerts. It's
"Mardi Gras" to a Caribbean beat.
- Virgen del Pilar's Day: 12th. Fair in San José district of Tres
Ríos celebrating their Patron Saint.
- Fiesta del Maíz: 12th in Upala. Corn is hailed with parade and
costumes made entirely of corn husk, grains, silks.
- National Artisan Fair: Dates change. Organized by the Culture Ministry
and the San José Municipality, the fair displays some of the country's
finest craftsmanship. Smaller fairs are infrequently organized in other
parts of the country.
November/Noviembre
- All Soul's Day: 2nd. "Day of the Dead" is observed with family
visits to cemetery remember loved ones.
- Coffee picking contest: Music and dancing.
December/Diciembre
- Lights Festival: Parades, concerts, fireworks at night, San José
is dressed up with lights in early December through the year end.
- Fiesta de los Negritos: Week of the 8th in the Indian village of Boruca.
Ancient Indian rituals combine with Catholicism to honor Virgin of the
Immaculate Conception with costumes, drum and flute music, dance.
- Fiesta de la Yeguita (Little Mare): Week of December 12 in Nicoya, blends
ancient Indian ritual in honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe with processions,
concerts, fireworks, special foods.
- Christmas: Homes and businesses set up Nativity scenes. Competition
for best scene runs through the 22th. season's foods include coconut melcochas
(candy), chichi (corn liquor), tamales, rompope (eggnog), imported apples
and grapes. Las Posadas begin December 15, carolers go from house to house
and are treated to refreshments. At midnight December 24, Catholic churches
celebrate the Misa del Gallo (midnight mass).
- Festejos Populares: (Year-End Festival). 25-31, in south San José
fairgrounds at Zapote. Amusement park with rides, food, bullteasing, music,
fireworks. The country's biggest! (Was greatly reduced this past year
when the Bull Ring was condemned.)
- Tope: 26th, a horse parade to end all horse parades in downtown San
José.
Carnival: 27th, downtown San José is the scene with a huge parade
including floats and music.
- Fiesta de los Diablitos: December 31 - January 2, Indians of the southern,
Bruca region reenacts a fight/dance between the Indians (diablitos) and
Spaniards (bulls) amid flute and drum music.