In this Daily: Día de la Anexión del Partido de Nicoya or “Guanacaste Day”
Las Catalinas is proud to be a member of the lively Guanacaste province, and to celebrate, Limonada is hosting a 3 part celebration honoring Guanacaste traditions and Guanacaste cuisine.
Officially known as El Día de la Anexión del Partido de Nicoya, this holiday celebrates the decision of Nicoya -- an independent colony comprising the land between what’s now modern day Guanacaste all of the way down to the Nicoya peninsula -- to join Costa Rica.
As Central American Independence began to take hold, the residents of Nicoya asked among themselves which path they wanted to take, ultimately deciding to become a part of Costa Rica via their own free will. To this day, that decision is a source of great pride, representing the freedom and democracy of the Nicoyan people.
To this day, that pride can be seen in a few ways. The traditional slogan of “¡De la patria por nuestra voluntad!”, which translates to “of the motherland by our own choice”, represents the pride of Nicoya Party citizens in joining the country by their own will, and the continued spirit of democracy in Costa Rica. There are also celebrations all across the country of all things Guanacastecas, with dancing, food, and music throughout the weekend.
Here in Las Catalinas, there will be a three part celebration, with a different meal each day celebrating traditional Guanacasteco cuisine and ingredients.
For the first night, Thursday the 24th, there will be a three course meal introduced by a welcome drink of traditional rompope casero. The main course will be arroz de maíz & gallina criolla, followed by a traditionally prepared arroz con leche.
During the second night, Friday, the 25th, there will another three course meal, this time with a welcome drink of vino de coyol. Following, the main course for Friday will be arroz con camarones & frijoles molidos followed by dessert for the evening: cajetas de coco.
The last day of the celebrations will be a lunch on Saturday, the 26th, a traditional Guanacaste barbecue. Out on the beachfront, the grill will be firing and there will be gallos de cerdo & tortillas palmeadas, a pair of iconic Guanacaste bites.
All three meals will be a fun, family friendly way to celebrate one of the most important days in Guanacaste’s history, with regional favorites packed with local flavor, for a meal cooked to taste like home.