Christmas, Costa Rica Style

     The Christmas season is celebrated literally all over the world with each country putting their own personal touches on the event. Costa Rica is no different, starting with decorating the fragrant branches of Cypress trees with lights and ornaments.

Sometimes, the branches of coffee shrubs are used as a replacement for the Cypress. The biggest and most renowned tree in Costa Rica is in front of Childrens’ Hospital in San Jose.

The tree is decorated with the motivation being to fill people with hope for the coming year. San Jose is also the location for the Festival of Light, where the entire city seems to be wrapped in garlands of colorful lights. It is also traditional to wear yellow underclothing for luck or happiness and to eat twelve grapes at midnight (one at each toll of the bell) on New Year’s Eve, also for good luck throughout the coming year.     

Nativity scenes, known as “portals” or nacimientos, complete with manger animals, can be seen throughout the country. Traditionally, the figurine for Baby Jesus is placed in the scene on Christmas Eve.

The two most visited portales in San Jose are the full scale one outside the National Theatre and the Portal of Lights in front of the main Banco Nacional in that city.   It is no revelation that Costa Rica has a long and storied history of Catholic influence and culture. Understandably, there is no Germanic Santa Claus here; the Baby Jesus arrives on Christmas Eve, Noche Buena, bearing gifts, just after the traditional Midnight Mass, La Misa de Gallo. And the Christmas season does not end until January 6, the Epiphany, the day the three wise men, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar, visited the infant son of God. The entire holiday is seeped in tradition and revolves around families and close friends.

There are a plethora of traditional meals for this time, recipes passed from generation to generation. The centerpiece has to be the Christmas tamales, or maybe I’m just revealing my penchant for them…They are generally a cornmeal dough stuffed with potatoes, vegetables and either chicken or pork, with the entire affair wrapped in plantain leaves and then steamed or boiled.

There are also a variety of pastries served including tres leches, a decadently sweet offering and the very popular “queque navideno” (Christmas cake), cooked with rum and pecans as main ingredients – tasty! 

At the base of all this eating is the theme of sharing the festivities with family. And the festivities are everywhere, in each and every pueblo, generally beginning with El Zapote, a parade of horse riders in full regalia, with children and other adults in a variety of costumes.

Bullfights are a centerpiece here, too, but they differ in a way that exemplifies the Costa Rican way of doing things: no harm comes to the bull, generally studs who have been lent for the occasion by local ranchers. Groups of men taunt the bull, dodge him and generally play “chicken”, usually with no more harm coming to anyone than a skinned knee or the embarrassment of baling out of the ring early.

An occasional goring does occur, but they are rare.

The festivities also center on the children with carnivals providing mechanical rides, games, live music and of course, lots of food.

The warm, friendly atmosphere is everywhere, something that cannot be imitated. If you are planning to visit during that time, be sure to bring your appetite with you.  Feliz Navidad!