Christmas in Costa Rica

Written by Zoe Smith, United Kingdom, November 2012

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Holiday Activity, Festival

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Comment from Zoe Smith

Festive celebrations begin early in Costa Rica, with the start of ‘Las Posadas’ (the ‘inns’) nine days before Christmas and three dramatic parades taking place around the country. ‘El Carnival’, where dancers and musicians compete for prestigious titles and prizes; ‘El Destile de Luces’, a torchlit night parade and ‘El Tope’ an annual horseback parade, with lavishly dressed horses and hand-painted ox-carts, typically held the day after Christmas.

In San Jose, the Festival de la Luz, or Festival of Lights, kicks off the holiday season on the second Saturday of December, as the city’s renowned Christmas lights are unveiled. The event draws in over a million people with colorful floats and street dancers taking part in a spectacular street parade, live bands and traditional entertainment.

Editor’s Note: This recommendation was taken from our Costa Rica Things to Do blog. Visit the original post to continue reading the full post and to learn more about things to do in Costa Rica.

Photo courtesy of wolfsavard via Flickr.

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