This is the list of the main and official holidays in Costa Rica:

January 1st: New Year’s Day, celebrated with a big dance in San Jose’s Parque Central.

March 19th: St. Joseph’s Day, patron saint of San Jose and San Jose province.

Easter: Holy Week, Semana Santa. Dates vary annually but businesses will often close for the entire week preceding Easter weekend.

April 11th: Juan Santamaria Day. Public holiday to commemorate the national hero who fought at the battle of Rivas against the American invader William Walker in 1856.

May 1st: Labor Day. Dia de los Trabajadores.

June: Corpus Christi

June 29th: St. Peter and St. Paul’s Day

July 25th: Guanacaste Day. To mark the annexation of Guanacaste from Nicaragua in 1824.

August 2nd: Virgin de los Angeles Day. Patron saint of Costa Rica.

August 15th: Mother’s Day and Assumption Day

September 15th: Independence Day, with big patriotic parades celebrates Costa Rica’s independence from Spain in 1821.

October 12th: Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day). Limon province only, marked by carnival, which take place in the week prior to October 12.

November 2nd: All soul’s Day

December 8th: Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

December 25th: Christmas Day. Family-oriented celebrations with trips to the beach. Much consumption of apples and grapes.