Public holidays in Costa Rica
11 days in 2026 · 11 in 2027
Back to Costa RicaNext public holiday
Army Abolition Day
Día de la Abolición del Ejército
After it: Christmas Day, Friday 25 December
Tuesday, 1 December 2026
Costa Rica has 11 public holidays on file for 2026, and the same 11 in 2027. Two of them do not carry pay: on 2 August, the feast of Our Lady of the Angels, and on 1 December, the day the army was abolished, employers have to give the day off but not pay for it. Wikipedia, citing the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, counts twelve days, nine paid and three unpaid; the twelfth, 31 August, is missing from the calendar on file.
Several holidays mark the making of the state rather than the church year. 11 April remembers Juan Santamaría and the fighting of 1856 against the filibuster William Walker, 25 July the annexation of the Party of Nicoya in 1824 and 15 September the Act of Independence of Central America of 1821. Holy Week contributes two days, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and Easter Monday is a working day.
From 2020 to 2024 a law moved several holidays to the nearest Monday, to encourage domestic travel. Wikipedia lists the moved dates for those five years, the last of them 29 July 2024 for the Nicoya annexation.
- Days off in 2026
- 11Nationwide public holidays
- On a weekday
- 7Monday to Friday
- On a weekend
- 4Saturday or Sunday
- Long weekends
- 3and 3 with one day of leave
2026
Public holidays in Costa Rica in 2026
- 1 January: New Year's DayAño NuevoThe first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Falls on a Thursday in 2026 and a Friday in 2027.Thursday
- 2 April: Maundy ThursdayJueves SantoMaundy Thursday, the first of the two Holy Week days off, kept on the Thursday before Easter Sunday.ThursdayDate moves
- 3 April: Good FridayViernes SantoGood Friday, the day after Maundy Thursday. With it Holy Week gives four days in a row ending on Easter Sunday.FridayDate moves
- 11 April: Juan Santamaría DayDía de Juan SantamaríaJuan Santamaría, remembered as the hero of the fight against William Walker's filibusters in 1856. Timeanddate lists the day as the Battle of Rivas.Saturday
- 1 May: Labour DayDía Internacional del TrabajoInternational Workers' Day. A Friday in 2026, a Saturday in 2027.Friday
- 25 July: Annexation of the Party of Nicoya to Costa RicaAnexión del Partido de Nicoya a Costa RicaThe Party of Nicoya joined Costa Rica in 1824. The territory is the province of Guanacaste, and the day is also called Annexation of Guanacaste.Saturday
- 2 August: Feast of Our Lady of the AngelsFiesta de Nuestra Señora de los ÁngelesThe feast of Our Lady of the Angels. Employers must give the day off but need not pay for it.Sunday
- 15 August: Mother's DayDía de la MadreMother's Day, kept on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption of Mary.Saturday
- 15 September: Independence DayDía de la IndependenciaIndependence Day, for the Act of Independence of Central America of 1821. A Tuesday in 2026 and a Wednesday in 2027.Tuesday
- 1 December: Army Abolition DayDía de la Abolición del EjércitoCosta Rica abolished its army in 1948, and the day marks that decision. A day off without pay, like 2 August.Tuesday
- 25 December: Christmas DayNavidadChristmas Day, one of the nine paid holidays. Falls on a Friday in 2026, giving a three-day weekend.Friday
Long weekends
Long weekends in Costa Rica in 2026
Runs of three days or more off, with weekends counted, and the working days that join a holiday to a weekend when taken as leave.
- 4daysThu 1 Jan to Sun 4 JanWith Fri 2 Jan taken as leave · New Year's Day
- 4daysThu 2 Apr to Sun 5 AprMaundy Thursday, Good Friday
- 3daysFri 1 May to Sun 3 MayLabour Day
- 4daysSat 12 Sept to Tue 15 SeptWith Mon 14 Sept taken as leave · Independence Day
- 4daysSat 28 Nov to Tue 1 DecWith Mon 30 Nov taken as leave · Army Abolition Day
- 3daysFri 25 Dec to Sun 27 DecChristmas Day
2027
Public holidays in Costa Rica in 2027
- 1 January: New Year's DayAño NuevoFriday
- 25 March: Maundy ThursdayJueves SantoThursdayDate moves
- 26 March: Good FridayViernes SantoFridayDate moves
- 11 April: Juan Santamaría DayDía de Juan SantamaríaSunday
- 1 May: Labour DayDía Internacional del TrabajoSaturday
- 25 July: Annexation of the Party of Nicoya to Costa RicaAnexión del Partido de Nicoya a Costa RicaSunday
- 2 August: Feast of Our Lady of the AngelsFiesta de Nuestra Señora de los ÁngelesMonday
- 15 August: Mother's DayDía de la MadreSunday
- 15 September: Independence DayDía de la IndependenciaWednesday
- 1 December: Army Abolition DayDía de la Abolición del EjércitoWednesday
- 25 December: Christmas DayNavidadSaturday
31 August, the Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture, has been kept since 2021 and is listed by Wikipedia among the twelve national holidays. Neither the provider nor timeanddate lists it, so it appears in neither calendar above.
Timeanddate lists Friday 8 May 2026, the day of the change of president, as a government holiday. It is not in the provider's calendar.
2 November, the Day of the Dead, is kept every year but is not a public holiday.
Common questions
Questions about public holidays in Costa Rica
How many public holidays does Costa Rica have in 2026?
Eleven are on file, and two of them, 2 August and 1 December, are days off without pay. Four fall on a weekend in 2026: Juan Santamaría Day on Saturday 11 April, the Nicoya annexation on Saturday 25 July, Our Lady of the Angels on Sunday 2 August and Mother's Day on Saturday 15 August. Wikipedia counts a twelfth, 31 August, that the calendar on file leaves out.
Are 2 August and 1 December paid holidays in Costa Rica?
No. The feast of Our Lady of the Angels and Army Abolition Day are days off that employers must grant but do not have to pay, and timeanddate files both as non compulsory payment holidays. The other holidays carry their normal pay.
Why is Mother's Day a public holiday in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica keeps Mother's Day on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption of Mary, so the church feast and the family day fall together and the date is a day off. In 2026 it is a Saturday and in 2027 a Sunday, which means that in neither year does it take a working day out of the week.
Is there a day off on Easter Monday in Costa Rica?
No. The Holy Week days off are Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, so Easter gives four days from Thursday to Sunday and work resumes on Monday. In 2026 they run from Thursday 2 April to Sunday 5 April, and in 2027 from Thursday 25 March to Sunday 28 March.
Which holidays did Costa Rica move to Mondays?
It did from 2020 to 2024, under a law that moved holidays to Mondays to encourage travel inside the country. In 2021 Labour Day was kept on Monday 3 May and Independence Day on Monday 13 September; in 2024 Juan Santamaría Day moved to 15 April and the Nicoya annexation to 29 July. Wikipedia records no moved dates after 2024, and the 2026 and 2027 calendars on file keep every holiday on its own date.
What are the long weekends in Costa Rica in 2026?
Three need no leave. Holy Week gives four days from Thursday 2 April, Labour Day on Friday 1 May makes a three-day weekend, and Christmas Day on Friday 25 December does the same. With one day of leave, Friday 2 January joins New Year's Day to the weekend, Monday 14 September comes before Independence Day on Tuesday 15 September, and Monday 30 November leads into Army Abolition Day on Tuesday 1 December.
What is Juan Santamaría Day?
The holiday on 11 April for Juan Santamaría, honoured as a hero of the 1856 campaign against William Walker, the North American filibuster. Timeanddate calls the day the Battle of Rivas. In 2026 the date is a Saturday and in 2027 a Sunday, so the holiday takes no working day in either year.
What does 25 July celebrate in Costa Rica?
The annexation of the Party of Nicoya in 1824, when the territory that is now Guanacaste became part of Costa Rica. The day is listed under both names, Anexión del Partido de Nicoya and Annexation of Guanacaste. Both years on file put the date on a weekend, a Saturday in 2026 and a Sunday in 2027, so it costs no working day.
Dates from Nager.Date, read 2026-10-04. The page counts from Sunday, 4 October 2026, the day it was built.