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Page 1: Holiday season
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Celebrating Dia de San Jose in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is officially a Roman Catholic country and many festivals and culture

events celebrate the religious events of the Catholic faith. The majority of the

population (approximately 69%) is Roman Catholic.

March 19th is considered a national holiday celebrating the feast of St. Joseph,

or Día De San Jose (St.

Joseph’s Day). Considered

a national holiday in Costa

Rica, many towns who have

Joseph in their names

celebrate their namesakes

day. Specifically in San

Jose, the capital city of

Costa Rica, St. Joseph day

is celebrated with parades,

dancing and of course great

food. Towns which carry the

name of Joseph in their

names will also host fairs

and have special masses to

recognize their patron saint.

Costa Ricans take to the

streets often dressed in

traditional colorful garments

of white, red and blue.

Parades include music and

dancing in the streets.

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of San José with a procession in the vicinity of the Catedral Metropolitana. Municipal Police officers carry the statue of the saint.

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Easter Tradition in Costa Rica

For Ticos in Costa Rica, Semana Santa or Holy Week is

considered to be the most important religious celebration.

Beginning with Palm Sunday, most Costa Ricans will take

vacation from work, banks and government offices will be

closed and most non-tourist business will definitely be closed

on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

For those not taking

vacation, many will work

until Wednesday. For

those lucky to work in

public positions, they will

have the week off to

prepare for Holy week and

Easter celebrations. This

year there is a change

however with the dry law which prohibits the sale of alcohol

from midnight Wednesday to midnight Saturday. This year

each municipality is able to decide for itself as to whether they

will implement the law or not.

During Semana Santa government offices, including the

Casa Presidencial and all ministries will be closed for the

entire week. Banks will close on Thursday and Friday so if you

This is a great time to see some of the rich culture of

the area as each province and town holds dramatic

religious processions and services recreating the last

days of Jesus’ life.

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need some cash, get it before the banks close for the long

weekend.

Costa Rica’s Passion of Christ Re-Enactment

And speaking of traditions, there

are two important processions which

involve the re-enaction of the

crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Tres Rios

in Cartago. With live human

participation, the event is something

that cannot be missed if you happen

to be in Costa Rica at this time. The procession includes

Roman-like actors who beat Jesus during his journey. The

dramatization is as much of a statement of what occurred

brought to life in real times. Many line the streets to participate

in the re-enactment. Another such event is held in San

Joaquin de Flores in Heredia and is televised for those who

don’t want to come out to see the procession.

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Juan Santamaría Day

Juan Santamaría Day, held every year in April,

commemorates the Costa Rican victory in the Battle

of Rivas in 1856 against the U.S. citizen William

Walker and his mercenary army.

After overthrowing the government of Nicaragua,

Walker began setting his sights on other Central

American countries in hopes of developing a slave-

trade empire. The Costa Rican government called

on its citizens to head to Nicaragua to fight the

growing threat.

Juan Santamaría, a poor drummer boy – now a legend – set fire to a hostel

where a number of Walker’s soldiers were staying. The fire led to a heavy loss in

troops for Walker’s army, but also killed

Santamaría in the process. This act of

heroism, which confirmed Costa Rica’s

sovereignty, will be remembered with

parades, civic programs and fireworks

throughout the country on Thursday. Most

businesses and government offices will be

closed for the holiday, and parades may block some of the main streets in towns

and cities throughout the country.

The country’s primary international airport

in Alajuela, northwest of San José, is named

after the hero.

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Julie and Rick in Costa Rica

Our decision to move to Costa Rica –what we worried about,

how we decided to do it, and how we are going to do it

Thursday, December 13, 2007

May 01, 2007 - Labor Day, Costa Rica

Today is Labor Day in Costa

Rica, and in much of the rest

of the world as well. So

strange that it is not celebrated

today in the USA, since the

event that marks it *happened*

in the USA. At any rate, it is a

big day off for folks here. The

local swimming pool is the busiest I have seen yet - cars are parked

even on the side street a block away.

On Saturday afternoon, we were surprised to hear the local

cannon/fireworks go off several times, accompanied by a parade of

*huge* trucks around town. They drove and honked for almost an hour.

They passed our corner, and we walked to the main street to see how

far it extended - at least 4 blocks down and back, bumper-to-bumper

trucks. There were rock haulers, cement trucks, semis (yes! in Costa

Rica!), and bulldozers. We decided they were celebrating Labor Day

early. Later, we asked someone about it, and he suggested that it was

the owner of the stone quarry showing off - he and the owner of a

similar concern seem to be embroiled in a pissing contest. Either way,

it was pretty interesting, and attracted quite a crowd.

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We had planned to have our homestay "parents" over for cafecito

this afternoon, but they called to say they couldn't make it. We have

been thinking about how to reciprocate some of the visits we have had

with others - usually over a meal of some kind. Our kitchen is *very*

limited, with just enough plates, silverware, and coffee cups for us, and

no good way to cook rice and beans (you *have* to have rice and

beans if you invite someone for a meal). Finally, we decided to buy a

couple more coffee mugs, purchase a selection of pastries, and have

cafecito at the table outside. We'll see how that works.

Electricity and water report for Monday - Water was off in the

morning till 8, and electricity went off at 9 (time enough to get a

shower). Electricity back on at 11, back off from 3 - 5.

Weather: got a good downpour on Saturday; Sunday was beautiful -

sunny and cool; clear most of Monday, with a few sprinkles in the late

afternoon.

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The Annexation of Guanacaste

The Annexation of Guanacaste Day, celebrated on July 25th,

commemorates the annexation of the province of Guanacaste to Costa

Rica, which occurred in 1824 - prior to this year, Guanacaste was part

of Nicaragua. Due to the fact that Nicaragua was active in many civil

wars at the time, Guanacaste’s inhabitants requested to be annexed to

Costa Rica. The Central American Federation approved the

annexation; hence Guanacaste became a part of Costa Rica.

The ‘Guanacastecos’ have always been well identified with Costa

Rica and take pride in being a part of this country. Proof of this is their

famous slogan ‘de la patria por nuestra voluntad’, which means ‘part of

this country by our own choice’. This annexation by choice celebrates

Costa Rica’s core values of democracy.

The Guanacaste Day is

celebrated with a nationwide

public holiday and bustling

celebratory activities and

events, especially in the

province of Guanacaste. On

public holidays, all banks,

government offices, post

offices and other commercial

centers close, thus

evidencing the great

importance of the

Guanacaste Day.

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The Celebration

The celebration of Guanacaste’s annexation is comprised by

parades, folk dances, typical music, cattle shows and more. The

parades involve children marching to the park at the center of town,

while wearing masks and dressing up as a variety of personages.

Bullfights are also typical of the Guanacaste Day celebration.

However, bullfights in Costa Rica are very different than those in

Spain. Tico style of bullfighting does not involve killing the animal; it’s

all about young unarmed men teasing a bull or cow around a ring for a

few minutes.

Guanacaste’s streets fill out

with handicrafts and typical

Costa Rican food like tamales

and grilled meat with tortillas.

Concerts, fireworks and folk

dances are also part of the

celebration. The most popular

typical dances that occur

during this celebration include

the popular ‘Caballito

Nicoyano’ and the ‘Punto

Guanacasteco’. Also involved in the celebration of the annexation of

Guanacaste is the music of Costa Rica’s national instrument, the

marimba.

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Feast of the Virgin of Los Angeles On August 2, Costa Rica celebrates a National Holiday. Most regard

it as the third most important religious holiday in Costa Rica after

Christmas and Easter. It is the Feast of the Virgin of Los Angeles

(Virgen de Los Angeles) Day, the patron saint of Costa Rica. The saint

is also called La Negrita.

According to the story, on August 2nd 1635, a young mulatto girl,

whose name was Juana Pereira, found a small statue on a rock and

took it home, the next

morning she found the

statue was back at the

rock, so she took it to

the priest who locked

the statue in a small

box. The next morning

the statue was back on

the rock. Originally the

basilica was going to be built in an alternative location, but due to

earthquakes and other problems, it was decided to move the location

of the church to the location of the rock, as they believed that was

where the Lady of Los Angeles wanted it built. Because the stone is

dark in color, the statue is sometimes referred to as La Negrita. It is

also called Reina de Cartago or Queen of Cartago. The original statue

is located in the basilica in a golden shell.

Annually, as many as two million pilgrims

visit the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los

Ángeles(Our Lady of the Angels Basilica),

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on the feast day of the Virgin of the Angels, August 2. This Basilica is

located in Cartago. Many walk the 10 miles from San José and many

crawl on their hands and knees as a sign of their devotion during the

annual Romería, which translates to religious pilgrimage.

The basilica was built in 1639 and was partially destroyed by an

earthquake. The restored basilica offers an interesting and impressive

mix of colonial architecture as well as 19th century Byzantine style and

is consecrated to the Virgin of Señora de los Ángeles. This is a small

statue of the Virgin Mary carrying the infant Jesus

An official decree declared the Virgin of the Angels the official patron

of Costa Rica. The pilgrims that come drink the water and wash

themselves with water from the rock on which the statue was found.

Additionally people bring small silver medals shaped like body parts,

which are the ones the pilgrim is concerned about. They leave them in

front of La Negrita in hopes that they will be cured.

There is also a museum on the grounds displaying names of

individuals who were killed in disasters or wars.

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Mother’s Day

August 15th marked an important holiday for Ticos: Dia de la

Madre or Mother’s Day, based on the Catholic holiday

celebrating the Assumption of Mary. Matriarchs run the

household in

traditional families,

but on this day many

are treated to a

special meal and

gifts from their

children and

husbands.

In Costa Rica, Mother’s Day is a big deal, for it is a national

holiday as government offices, banks, schools and most

businesses close for the day, for about the only commercial

activity is retail stores and malls open to cash in on the gift

buying and restaurants.

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Independence Day

Like the rest of Central America, Costa Rica never fought for independence from

Spain. On September 15th, 1821, after the final Spanish defeat in the Mexican War of

Independence, the authorities in Guatemala declared the independence of all of

Central America.

Independence Day in Costa Rica is celebrated with much fun and merriment. The

national holiday is marked by the hoisting of the national flag, patriotic parades and

performances by students in the community.

The fun begins when various schools from communities around the country make

colorful homemade lanterns, which are lit by candles. The lanterns are lit at 6pm, and

Costa Ricans join their voices to sing the National Anthem. The students then walk

through the streets, carrying their lanterns, often accompanied by drums and singing.

This tradition comes from the night of September 14th, 1821, when delegates from

Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador met in the Guatemalan Plaza with the purpose

of joining their voices and saying out loud in unison, “Long live liberty”, just a few hours

before the declaration of independence was given in that country. The entire town

gathered in the City Hall, lighting the place with lamps and lanterns.

The decorations with lanterns remained for many years in Central American countries

and in Costa Rica, despite the fact that Costa Ricans had no knowledge of the

declaration of independence until one month later, when the Independence Torch

arrived.

The celebration continues the day after, when the streets are filled with parades, boys

and girls dancing in traditional clothing, drums, singing, and honor roll students

carrying Costa Rican flags. It is a very family oriented event, devoid of any military

overtones, as Costa Rica abolished its army in 1949.

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What are some special celebrations that you remember in your family and/or

community during these holidays?

March 19th

March 19th

April 11th

May 1st

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July 25th

August 2nd

August 15th

September 15th


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