Discover how Costa Rica celebrates Independence Day on September 15 with torch runs, lantern parades, marimba music, and traditional food. Learn the history behind this national holiday and how its traditions connect past and present.
Costa Rica celebrates its Independence Day each year on September 15th with parades, parties, and cultural events that bring the entire country together.
Día de la Independencia commemorates Costa Rica’s emancipation from Spanish rule and reflects the nation’s values of peace, pride, and community. Everyone is invited to take part in the celebrations which weave together history and community.
For 2025, this year’s theme is: “Freedom, culture, and well-being: uniting past, present, and future.”
Did you know? Costa Rica shares its independence date, and even some of its celebrations, with El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which all declared independence from Spain in 1821.
For roughly 300 years, most of what we now call Central America was under Spanish rule. That began to change in 1808, when Napoleon invaded Spain, sparking movements for freedom throughout Mexico and Central America.
At the time, Central America was divided into provinces under Spain, today known as the countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Between 1810 and 1821, the Mexican War of Independence raged, pulling surrounding provinces into the fray, but Costa Rica remained separated from the fighting. To this day, it is a point of pride for Ticos that Costa Rican independence was gained without direct bloodshed.
Something that is often noted in the retelling of this story is that since independence was settled in Guatemala and there were no fast or reliable ways to send information back then, Costa Rican people didn’t know they’d achieved independence until a month after it happened.
Businesses are closed on the 15th of September each year so that everyone has the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day. Street parties and parades are free for the public to attend, featuring Ticos in traditional garb, local folk music, and classic Costa Rican dishes.
In the evening of September 14th, the Antorcha de la Independencia (Torch of Independence) is lit in Guatemala and carried through Central America by tens of thousands of students, symbolizing the spread of freedom across the region. When the Antorcha de la Independencia reaches Costa Rica, the flag is raised and the national anthem is sung.
On the evening of the 15th, it’s time for the Desfile de Faroles (Lantern Parade). Leading up to Independence Day, Costa Ricans, especially school children and families, design paper lanterns—faroles—lovingly crafted in a variety of shapes, colors, and styles. These lanterns are lit and carried in a glowing parade throughout towns and cities, honoring independence while carrying forward the tradition of light and hope.
Lanterns and light play an important part of the story of independence and Costa Rica’s celebrations. The tradition originates partly from the story of María Dolores Bedoya de Molina, a passionate independence advocate in Guatemala.
On the evening of September 14, 1821, she took her lantern and walked the streets of Guatemala City, gathering people in support of independence. By the next day, she had gathered a large and lively crowd outside the palace where nobility was meeting to discuss independence. Fearful of the crowds outside, they decided to sign in favor of independence, with Bedoya’s efforts receiving significant credit.
Her courage is celebrated each year, and her lantern remains a lasting symbol of unity and determination across Central America.
No Costa Rican holiday is complete without food. Independence Day brings out local vendors and families, serving traditional Costa Rican fare such as arroz con pollo, tamales, and coconut flan. Local favorites like Imperial Beer, guaro cocktails, sweet agua dulce, and fresh Costa Rican coffee will be served by restaurants, street vendors, and poured plentifully at parties. If you’re lucky, being invited to celebrate at a family feast is an unforgettable experience of Costa Rican hospitality.
Many people celebrate by wearing the red, white, and blue of the Costa Rican flag, while others choose campesino-inspired clothing, a more traditional style that serves as a nod to the past.
Men often wear button-down shirts with neckerchiefs, boots, and wide-brimmed chonete hats, a festive addition that also doubles as sun protection. Women dress in colorful blouses and long, full, flowing skirts.
Picking out your own outfit for Día de la Independencia? It’s usually quite warm in most of Costa Rica in mid-September, so be sure to choose something that will keep you cool while you participate in the lively celebrations.
Costa Rica’s Independence Day is more than a holiday—it is a celebration of freedom, community, and cultural pride. From torch runs and lantern parades to marimba music and family feasts, September 15th connects the past with the present, uniting Costa Ricans in joy and remembrance. For both locals and visitors, joining the festivities is one of the best ways to experience the heart and spirit of Costa Rica.
At Second Street, we believe in honoring that heritage while supporting Costa Rica’s future—helping Americans finance homes across the country so they, too, can celebrate this remarkable nation as their own.
Ready to celebrate Independence Day in Costa Rica? Get started with Second Street today.
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