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.

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Holidays and Annual Events in Costa Rica

Annual Holidays Celebrated in Costa Rica

Annual Events and Activities in Costa Rica

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