Costa Rica Public Holidays ~ Costa Rica celebrates a some of the same holidays as many other country, but also has some holidays that are only celebrated in the country. Below is a list of the public holidays in Costa Rica.
January 1 – New Year’s Day – This is a day were many people rest after spending a festive night with family and friends. Many Costa Ricans enjoy taking time to visit the beaches of Costa Rica during the New Year’s holiday.
April 11 - Juan Santamaria Day – It is celebrated to commemorate the death of this national hero. Juan Santamaria was a drummer in the army of Costa Rica during the Battle of Rivas in 1856 against William Walker and his army. He set fire to the hotel where Walker’s army was saying which resulted in a heavy loss for Walker’s troops.
Holy Week and Easter Holidays – Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday are public holidays before Easter Sunday. Business are closed during this period, and some people take the whole week off from work.
May 1 – Labor Day – This holiday is celebrated through Latin America and is a paid holiday for all workers.
July 25 – This is a celebration of the annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua in 1824. Costa Ricans celebrate with shows of typical dancing, rodeos, and parties. Some of the largest fiestas in the providence are held in the city of Liberia.
August 2 – Day of the Virgin de Los Angeles – This holiday has significant religious significance for many people. People walk from all over Costa Rica to La Basillica in Cartago to celebrate the “La Negrita”. It is believed that a woman found a dark wooden statue and tried to remove it, but it kept going back to the place where she found it. The church was built around the spot. People go to pray and believe that they can be healed. Hundreds of thousands of people attend. This is not a paid holiday.
August 15 – Mother’s Day- Family is very important for people in Costa Rica, and this gives workers the day off to spend with their moms.
September 15 – Independence Day – This day celebrated the independence of Costa Rica from Spain in 1821. Citizens celebrate with bands and parades in the street. In the evening, you will see people parading through the streets with lanterns.
October 12 – National Cultures Day – You see this holiday particularly celebrated in the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. People come to celebrate the Caribbean culture with a carnival style parade. This is not a paid holiday.
December 25 – Christmas Day