Independence Day, Grecia, Costa Rica

Today, September 15, 2018, marks 197 years of independence from Spain for Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Savador and Honduras. It is an official national holiday, with festivities beginning on September 14th all over Costa Rica. You can read everything about this holiday on Costa Rica Guides.

When we lived in Atenas, we usually went to the celebrations. Now that we live in Grecia, we decided to see what this town has to offer in the way of celebrations. It was a perfect day for being in town and the park. First we had breakfast at Cafe Delicias. For a little under 10,000 colones total, we both had large breakfasts, including fruit drinks. Lance’s selection ended with a warm piece of french style toast, with whipping cream on top and a side of strawberries. He generously shared it with me. Highly recommend Cafe Delicias.

Then we walked over to the park and the festivities had already started. We listened to a couple of speeches, then watched the start of the parade arriving. First came the police cars and ambulances, with sirens blaring. Next up were the Grecia bomberos (fire department), some sports teams, a school - it was getting hot in the sun so we decided to head back to our car. We walked along the crowded parade route and saw the many school bands lined up waiting to go. I took some photos and here they are.

The setup for the VIP’s, where speeches were given:

Chairs decorated in Costa Rican colours:


The bomberos:

Crowds in front of the church:



I think this was a bank’s mascot:

Many, many school bands and dance groups:

How cute is this kid - I don’t know if they were supposed to be elves or ... ? Anyway, they danced and marched.

Independence Day 2016 - Costa Rica

On September 15, 1821, the authorities in Guatemala declared independence for all of Central America from Spain. Here in Costa Rica, September 15 is a national holiday.

The farole parade is held on the evening of September 14 - homemade lanterns symbolizing the original freedom torch. On September 15th, there are parades all around the country, with marching school bands. Further information can be found in this article by the Costa Rican News.

Here are some photos I took of some Independence Day celebrations in our Atenas park, on Wednesday, September 14.