When you travel, take notice of these holidays. Museums, theatres and other culture & recreational centers usually close during national holidays, or work on special schedules (are open less hours).
January 1st: New Year’s Day
April 11th (feast day of national hero Juan Santamaría): Commemoration of the battle of Rivas in 1856, in which Costa Ricans fought against North American Filibusters led by William Walker
Holy Thursday and Good Friday: Costa Ricans are very catholic, so you might have the chance to see some processions these days.
May 1st: Labor Day
July 25th: Guanacaste region (North Pacific) annexed to Costa Rica in 1824. During the colonial period it was an autonomous territory.
August 2nd: Our Lady of Los Angeles. Costa Ricans celebrate the day of the Virgin Patron, and go on pilgrimage to Cartago, where it is said that she appeared to a little girl in the colonial times (XVIIth Century).
August 15th: Mother’s Day. Unlike most North American and European countries, Costa Ricans do not celebrate Mother’s day in May.
September 15th: Independence Day. Central Americans from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate the Independence of Spain, which occurred in 1821.
October 12th: Day of culture encounters. On this day in 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in the shores of the continent’s Caribbean Islands. The celebration is somewhat controversial amongst certain social/ethnic groups, especially aboriginals, but it is still a holiday. Carnivals are held in Port Limón.
December 25th: Christmas
