It is a very popular tradition that each year, the Municipality of San José in Costa Rica organizes for the month of December the famous "Festival of Light" during the evening. It can be said that the activity marks the beginning of Christmas in the main streets of the San José province. 

 

This year the event is taken place on Saturday December 17 at 6 pm, normally the second Saturday of the month. Attractive carriages and music bands from all over the country, with the support of private and public companies, organizations and associations, will show their talent and creativity using lights. 

 

Normally, this parade starts in front of the national gymnasium on 42 Street.  It goes all the way through Paseo Colón, then along Second Avenue and it finishes in front of the Church of the Solitude. This year, the grand marshal is the well-known cyclist Andrey Amador. 

 

The people that come to the parade will be part of a spectacle full of color, lights and joy. It is an event for every member of the family and also foreigners and tourists that are visiting our country. Because of this, we recommend you to schedule this to be one of your activities. Also, we would like you to remember that, during these dates in the country, there are cold winds during the night and it is important to wear warm clothing and comfortable shoes due to the amount of hours you could be standing on your feet.  If you like, bring some snacks and a hot water vessel with a hot drink. 

 

 

 

 

 

Big talent and creativity using lights.

 

 

*Commemorating the 196 years of the independence of our country.

 

 

September 15th is a very celebrated day in our country, because it is the Costa Rican Independence Day. It is the reason of a lot of people to go to the streets to celebrate the primary and high schools’ special parades. Those ones are competing with their clothing and their musical bands in the different country’s provinces. They also enjoy the folk dances’ demonstrations. 

 

Generally, these striking parades are carried on during the morning, taking advantage of the September’s sunny mornings. These bands that participate on September, 15th, have generally practiced during the entire year to share their best presentation on that day.

 

It is normal to receive traditional food and drinks some days before September 15th when you visit some places like banks and other public service centers. In the same way, one can see houses, high schools, primary schools, and public or private institutions decorated with the flag’s colors blue, white, and red. In this way, we can see the cars that are taking the Costa Rican Flag.   

 

In the same way, one day before, on September 14th, at 6 p.m., the people go to the “lanterns’ parade” where a lot of schoolboys and schoolgirls practice their creativity with the paper and the light. They also intone the Costa Rican National Anthem. 

 

As an interesting data: Costa Rica became independent from Spain on September 15th, 1821. Before being independent, Costa Rica was Spanish Territory and Guatemala was a Regional Government Center. On September, 1821, Guatemala became independent from Spain and, at the same time, it declared the Costa Rica’s Independence.

 

Long live Costa Rica!!