It’s beginning to look a lot like a Costa Rica Christmas
There’s no snow, but the holidays are here in Costa Rica. There’s NOTHING like a Costa Rica Christmas. A lot more people from outside the country are allowing themselves the best Costa Rica vacation. According to the Costa Rica tourism bureau (ICT), when the borders opened on November 1, about 37,000 people made their way here. This was certainly good news to the 600,000 people who directly and indirectly make a living here from tourism.
And it only got better in December. With hotels and tours back in operation, the key spots in Costa Rica began to fill up. Arenal Volcano, Monteverde cloud forest, Manuel Antonio national park, Tamarindo, Tortuguero national park and moreThe beaches in particular had the Christmas spirit with twinkling home and business lights. An added bonus: stores continued to offer Covid-related price discounts for all the gift-buying. This is a great time to discover a lower-priced, yet the best family resort in Costa Rica
Just how do Ticos do their Costa Rica Christmas?
The first thing that comes to mind are the tamales! In most kitchens you will find the cooking of corn dough, veggies, and pork or chicken wrapped in plantain leaves, tied with strings, then boiled. This tradition goes from grandmother to child and the tamales are eaten for the holiday (and often during the year too). Don’t leave Costa Rica without having a tamale.
All the kids are super happy at this time, as the school year has just come to a close and they are on summer vacation until February. Perfect for frolicking at the beach or at neighborhood parks. And they are eager to see what they will get for Christmas.
Another facet of the Costa Rican Christmas is that the big celebration of dinner and gifts takes place on December 24. Yes, they acknowledge the 25th as Christmas, but the party is the night before.
On December 26, the annual tope (horse parade) takes place in the capital city of San Jose. Thousands of horses march down the street and the event can be seen throughout Costa Rica live on TV.
Make a snowman, or rather a sandman.
Given the traditions of both the locals and the tourists, the holidays in Costa Rica are set to be enjoyed this year.
