Christmas in Costa Rica: Holiday Traditions to Enjoy from Tamarindo

Ask a Costa Rican what Christmas tastes like and the answer is almost always tamales. Families often gather for a full day to prepare them together: seasoned corn dough with pork or chicken, rice, vegetables and a little chile, wrapped in banana leaves and tied in pairs called piñas.

Making tamales is as much about the gathering as the food. Neighbors swap them, friends drop off a pair as a gift, and you'll see them sold at local sodas and markets throughout December. If someone in your community invites you to help, say yes. It's one of the nicest ways to feel at home here.

Other holiday favorites include rompope, a creamy eggnog-style drink, and the queque navideño, a fruit cake.

Instead of a tree, or alongside one, many Costa Rican homes set up a portal or pasito, a nativity scene that can be anything from a small tabletop display to an elaborate village with moss, lights, rivers and animals. Churches and towns often put up their own, and it's a lovely tradition to look for on an evening walk.

The season's best-known parade is the Festival de la Luz in San José. In 2026 it is on Saturday, December 12. San José council members confirmed to Telenoticias that the route starts at the Plaza de la Democracia and ends at the Torre Mercedes on Paseo Colón. La Teja reported that the parade includes marching bands and giant balloons.

If you're passing through San José that weekend, it's a lively evening out. A published start time was not part of those route announcements, so check the Municipality of San José before you plan the night.

On December 26, 2026, the Tope Nacional, Costa Rica's national horse parade, is scheduled in San José. The Ministry of Culture and Youth confirmed the date. La Nación reported the announced route from Plaza González Víquez to La Sabana. Horse culture runs deep in Guanacaste too.

New Year's Eve is usually a family-and-friends affair, and around the beach towns you'll find dinners, music and celebrations to welcome the year.

The holiday spirit continues inland from Tamarindo. Santa Cruz celebrates the Fiestas Típicas Nacionales each year from January 14 to 18, in honor of the Santo Cristo de Esquipulas. Costa Rica's Ministry of Culture and Youth declared the celebration intangible cultural heritage, and the decree sets those annual dates.

The tradition includes processions, marimba, cimarronas (traditional brass bands), folk dances, food such as tamales and chorreadas, and the montaderas de toros, Guanacaste's classic bull-riding gathering. It's a warm introduction to the culture of this part of the coast.

Further afield, the organizers of the Fiestas de Palmares, in Alajuela, have scheduled the 2027 festival for January 14 through 25.

December is also when private-sector employees in Costa Rica receive the aguinaldo, the year-end bonus required by law. The Ministry of Labor explains that it is paid within the first 20 days of December. Shops, markets and restaurants take on a festive feel, and many families travel to the beach between Christmas and New Year's, which gives Tamarindo a cheerful atmosphere.

If you're buying, it helps to plan paperwork with your attorney and agent around the holidays, so appointments and signings fit everyone's schedule.

If you're visiting this season, it can be a calm stretch to explore neighborhoods at your own pace: walk into town for breakfast, drive out to Playa Grande or Avellanas, and see which corner of the coast feels most like you.

If you'd like company while you look, or a few homes lined up between beach days, I'm happy to help, with no pressure. You can browse current homes on the search page or read the simple guide to the purchase process.