What’s Christmas like in Costa Rica? Do they celebrate Christmas? Are there Christmas trees? Do they have Santa? These are the questions that family and friends back home have asked me.
Yes, Costa Rica celebrates Christmas a lo grande (bigtime) from Christmas trees to lights to Santa to music to nativity scenes. Since this culture doesn’t have to compete with Thanksgiving, people start decorating at the beginning of November! Although the only thing that we did this year in terms of decorating was to string up some lights in the window, our neighbors have wreaths, reindeer, Santas, Christmas trees, and lights up.
There is no other way to celebrate this season here than to call it Christmas so there is no debate with holiday trees or Happy Holidays (although there is the Felices Fiestas [Happy Parties] to encompass New Year’s as well). Even government offices have huge nativity scenes on display which I love.
Fireworks are for sale everywhere and I hear that many will go off on Christmas Eve, but we won’t be here (more on that in a moment). The major difference here is that the big celebration when families get together, have dinner, and open presents is on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day. That and the fact that mailing Christmas cards to each other is nonexistent.
We won’t be here because we’ll be driving to the neighboring country of Nicaragua to renew our tourist visas. A kind family has graciously offered us their vacation home in León so we´ll most likely stay through Christmas. We’re leaving tomorrow so I better pack!
