In this Daily: Spending Christmas in Costa Rica
For many, Christmas is a holiday in the heart of winter, associated with cozy time spent around crackling fires and the arrival of snow. In Costa Rica, and most of the tropics and Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is still a time for family, but it’s a summer holiday. This results in quite a few different traditions, which start in December and continue throughout this time of year.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference about Christmas in Costa Rica is the weather. With the arrival of the dry season, temperatures are much warmer, making this time of the year far better for building sandcastles rather than snow forts. However, starting in December are the vientos de diciembre, which are cooler breezes that arise during warm sunny days that are a familiar sign of the holidays to many Costa Ricans.
The days are still long and sunny compared to further north, making this a time to spend days outside or at the beach. When Christmas comes, most Costa Rican schools are off, and trips to the beach or the countryside are popular.
Despite the different weather and slightly different trips on vacation, the Christmas season in Costa Rica is still about time with the family. One tradition that’s big in December is the preparation of tamales, a traditional food for the holidays in Costa Rica.
Whole families comes together during December to help make tamales to eat during the month, which often come from old family recipes, and comprise a corn base stuffed with meats, rice and vegetables wrapped in a banana leaf. Throughout December, it’s common that if you visit someone you can be offered a tamal and cafecito.
Traditions surrounding Christmas are different for each family, but there are a few common traits. Most Costa Ricans do the big family dinner on Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas day, and there are a number of different family traditions surrounding who brings gifts (El Niño Jesús or Papá Noel).
Las Catalinas has a set of its own Christmas traditions as well. Last night, Limonada hosted a Noche Buena dinner, and Ponciana will host a Christmas dinner this evening, both of which take a tropical influence through ingredients from the area to home style cooking found in Costa Rica and many other parts of the world.
The arrival of Santa in Las Catalinas is also a bit different than in many parts of the world. As reindeer prefer more temperate climates, Santa often has to get creative, arriving via other forms of transport like windsurf, sailboat, paddle surf, and on horseback.
Still, for the slight differences, the same things that unite Christmas around the world are all here in Las Catalinas. It’s a time to set aside for family. There’s a spirit of giving, both to each other and the community. All around, the festive atmosphere of the holiday makes the time feel special.
If you haven’t had the chance to visit Las Catalinas for the holiday season, you’re invited to come next year in 2020. It’s a different way to celebrate the holidays, but one that ultimately feels familiar, and the homes and flats of Las Catalinas are already available for next year’s holiday season.
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But for today, from everyone at Las Catalinas, Merry Christmas!