Costa Rican traditions

Festivals and Holidays

In Costa Rica, parties are numerous, since the civil holidays, Costa Ricans add many religious festivals. In addition, there are certain festivals celebrated with a regional only in parts of the country.

Holidays

- Day New Year's Day
- Holy Week, moveable feast, in March or April.
- Juan Santamaría Day on April 11.
- International Workers Day on May 1.
- Commemoration of the annexation of the region of Nicoya and Santa Cruz (now the province of Guanacaste) on July 25.
- Mother's Day and Assumption on August 15.
- Independence Day September 15.
- Christmas on December 25.

Major festivals

- January: Fiesta Patron (Alajuela); fiestas in Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz).
- February: Agricultural Fair (San Isidro de El General).
- March: Book Fair (San Jose); festival internacional Los Artes (San Jose).
- April: Feast of Juan Santamaría (Alajuela).
- May: parade of ox carts (Escazu and San Isidro de El General).
- July: Feast of Guanacaste (Liberia and Santa Cruz), Festival Internacional de Música (National).
- August: Festival Internacional de Música (National); feast of Our Lady of Los Angeles (Cartago, August 2).
- September (15): National Independence Day parades, festivals and celebrations of all kinds of fireworks.
- October (12): Carnival of Puerto Limon, Día de la Raza.
- November: Festival Internacional de Teatro (San Jose); Boyeros, entry into the holy city, parade of ox carts (San Jose, fourth Sunday in November).
- December: Fiesta de Los Negritos (Boruca, December 8) Immaculate Conception (national, Dec. 8): fireworks; fiesta of Yeguita (Nicoya, Dec. 12): processions, fireworks, concerts; Las Posadas (national, Dec. 15); fiestas end año (San Jose, December 26).