Christmas in Costa Rica is MERRY! Accompanied by numerous festivals and parades and the characteristic Costa Ricans’ warmth heartily felt on every corner, once the Holiday Season arrives, the country’s celebration seems to have no end!
The Festival de La Luz or Light Festival, is the official kick-off for the Christmas season. Since 1996 when the first festival was held, the city of San Jose is transformed into a spectacular street display of lights, culture, music, street dancers, costumes, colorful floats and lots, LOTS of on-site viewers -last year the festival had an attendance of nearly a million people!
The parade is traditionally held on the second Saturday of December and it spreads out along two of the main arteries in San Jose, the Avenida Segunda and Paseo Colon, where the emblematic National Children’s Hospital Christmas Tree (lit yearly on the first Thursday of December since 1964!) is located. Costa Rica puts a lot of effort into preparing for this magical celebration and it definitely turns out to be a vibrant scene for locals and foreigners alike, yet not knowing your way around and not preparing for your upcoming visit during such a popular season in Costa Rica can be the perfect combination for chaos!
If you are traveling to Costa Rica for the Holiday Season and would want to participate in this lovely parade, we strongly suggest you consider buying tickets to secure a good spot from where to enjoy the whole show. The tickets for the bleachers are around $35, is recommended to save your place one week in advance; you can buy them in the municipality. For complete information, you can view the official website for the Festival de la Luz as well as check out their gallery of winning floats from the past.
On the day of the show, you definitely want to pack light; bring only the necessary items, meaning your camera (one that is not too ostentatious), a small purse that you can keep in front of you (remember it does get very crowded and you want to keep your belongings where you can see them!) and some extra money to taste some of the delicious Tico food from the street stands or to purchase some gifts for people back home. Make sure to dress comfortably and wear walking shoes -and bringing along a light jacket might come handy in case it drizzles! Try to make your way early, as streets tend to get packed quickly and you want to make sure to find your spot with plenty of time to enjoy the show.
And lastly, in case you are not a big fan of large crowds, don’t worry! You can always set camp at a bar nearby and enjoy the national broadcast on TV as you drink a refreshing cold Imperial Beer, the national beer- it’s just like having a seat in front-row! Minus the crowds of course.
All in all, if you are in Costa Rica for the Holidays, you definitely don’t want to miss this visual fantasy of lights, color and the Holiday Spirit!