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Costa Rican Celebrations
Saint´s days, holidays, sporting events and indigenous traditions are ground celebrations with parties, carnivals or turnos, gigantic, papier- maché- headed clowns called payasos, traditional bullfights called corridas de toros, horse parades or topes, music, bingos, carnival rides, games and food.
Some of the most important celebrations in Costa Rica:
Palmares Fiestas: Palmares, a place to make friends! During the 2 first weeks of January, people can enjoy typical food, carnival, rides, topes, concerts and more..
Santa Cruz Fiestas: in January, Guanacaste organizes this celebration in honor of the Black Christ of Esquipulas with folklore dancing, marimbas and typical food.
Puntarenas Carnival: The last week of February people move to Puntarenas to enjoy the sun and sand with concerts and carnivals.Oxcart Driver´s Day: it is celebrated the second Sunday of every March in San Antonio de Escazú. Colorful oxcart parade, local priest bless animals, crops.
Fruit Festival:on March, Orotina exhibits and sales fruits, vegetables, lecture and typical food, rides, concerts and carnival can´t miss.
International Art Fest: The international and local music, art exhibit, dance, theater a much more takes San José or a rural town every year to show the population how important is the art.
Holy Week: a catholic celebration characterized by dramatic processions that represents the crucifixion of Jesus. The most population of Costa Rica is Catholic. It is celebrated during March or April.Juan Santamaría Day:Every April 11, Costa Ricans commemorates to this national hero, barefoot soldier who died in battle against William Walker´s troops in 1856.
Virgin of the Sea: In July, Puntarenas celebrates its Patron Saint, Virgin Mt. Carmel. Parades, fireworks, dances, sport events and typical food are part of this event.
Annexation of Guanacaste: One of the most popular celebrations. On July 25 Costa Rica celebrates the Guanacaste´s decision to be part of the country since 1824. “Las fiestas de Liberia” involves folk dances, cattle shows, parades, bullfights and concerts. Virgin of Los Angeles: on August 2nd. Honors Costa Rica´s Patron Saint with a nationwide pilgrimage to Basilica in Cartago, to celebrate miracle-working black Virgin of Los Angeles (La Negrita) appearance.
Costa Rica Independence Day: On September 15th, a relay race takes in entire Central America. Student runners carry “Freedom Torch” from Guatemala to Costa Rica. Torch arrives at colonial capital of Cartago precisely at 6 p.m. on September 14, when everyone, nationwide, sings the National Anthem. Kids have nocturnal homemade lantern parades. Drum-beating, uniformed school children parade the next day.Limón Carnival: Each October Limón lives a party, a community full of afro-Caribbean heritage celebrates during an entire week with street dance, parades, concerts, Caribbean music and food.
Lights Festival: part of the Christmas celebrations, San José city become during a night in a magical place full of colorful lights to bring fantasy to Costa Rican families. Fiesta de los Negritos: on December 08 in the Indian Village of Boruca, ancients Indians rituals combined with Catholicism to honor Virgin of the Immaculate Conception with costumes, drums, flute music and dance.
Christmas Celebrationsat the beginning of December, homes and businesses set up Nativity scene call “portales”. Season´s food includes cookies, rompope, chicha, tamales, apples and grapes. Las Posadas begin on December 15th, caroles go house to house and are treated to refreshments. Catholics celebrate on December 24 at midnight “La Misa del Gallo”.
Fiesta de los Diablitos: At midnight of December 31st, Borucas gather to reenact the war between their ancestors and the Spanish conquistadors. At the sound of a conch shell, men dressed in burlap sacking and devil masks pursue a fellow tribesman dressed as a bull.
Besides is very common that local communities organize fairs of products cultivated or produced in the area. Fairs such as tomato, orange, chiverry, pejibaye (peach palm), cheese, beans and corn festival and even a Chicharrón (roasted pork meat)are samples of local efforts to promote their products and improve their economy.
