Indepence Day
September 15 is Independence Day for Costa Rica and Central America. We have a 4 day weekend. We had no school Friday but had an assembly at school. It started at 5 and lasted an hour. This is the hour that the sunsets here and so when we began it was light and when we ended it was dark. In this photo: 2 Elementary School Teachers. Teachers wore red white or blue shirts with a panuelo (bandana) and jeans.
Abby and Amanda (Green's granddaughter) with their lanterns. Costa Rica became free from Spain in 1821. The celebaration usually begins the night before (the 14th) but we celebrated early this year since the 14th falls on a Sunday. The elementary students make or buy lanterns and bring them to school to be judged in different catagories. The lanterns represent the news of their Independence arriving in Costa Rica at night and being spread from country to country, provience to provience and city to city. 
After the assembly the students take their lighted lantern and make a parade around the street.
After we came back and each class sold a different "typical" food. These eighth graders were selling warm churros con dulce de leche. (250 c. = aprox. 50 cents)
4 comments:
Oh my goodness, I miss everybody so much! It looks like Independence Day was a lot of fun again this year. I'll wish everybody a happy Costa Rican independence day tomorrow though!
Yummmmm - churros! Looks like Independence Day was exciting. We were in Mexico one week before Independence Day. I was a little bummed we missed the festivities. Do you have any other holidays coming up? Is the next one All Saints Day?
Hope everything is going well for you!
Blessings,
Jennifer
Hey Des, Actually it's Independence Day for all of Central America. It was really fun.
Jennifer, seriously when are you coming to costa rica? :( All Saints day isn't that big here. Not like Mexico. Here everyone goes to the cemetary to put flowers but not much else. We celebrate Columbus Day which is called something like "Encounter of Cultures"
Hi, Theresa,
That was interesting and educational. :) I enjoyed what you had to say about the customs surrounding Independence Day in Central America.
Hope you will have a fun and healthy year. :)
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