Christianity is the most common religion in Costa Rica, so Christmastime is a big deal for many Ticos. In contrast to U.S. traditions, Christmas Eve is the star of the show in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries. In fact, most Costa Ricans think Christmas Eve is better than Christmas Day. Keep reading to see why!
For Costa Ricans, the point of Christmas is to celebrate the night of Jesus’s birth, and that’s just what they do. December 24th is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year in many Latin American cultures. Traditions vary from country to country but most Latinxs, including Costa Ricans, will spend the evening gathering with their families for the biggest party of the year: Noche Buena. It eclipses the heck out of Thanksgiving and New Years…combined!
Noche Buena literally translates to “the good night,” referring to the belief that Jesus was born at night. The entire family gathers for joyous partying, traditional meals, music, and dancing. Latinx families also exchange and open gifts on this night.
The preparation for these highly anticipated moonlit festivities starts weeks earlier as families put up traditional Christmas decorations. Those can include Christmas trees, lights, and last but not least, portales de navidad. Almost every Latinx household has one during the holiday season; Ticos go all-out when it comes to making these huge nativity scenes. In a portal de navidad you’ll see intricate figurines of Jesus’s parents Mary and Joseph, farm animals, and a manger for Baby Jesus, plus an arrangement of plants and lots of other accessories to complete the colorful scene. Finally, Baby Jesus is placed in his manger on Christmas Eve, usually at around midnight.
Noche Buena parties typically happen at the home of the family matriarch or patriarch. There every tio and tia (aunt and uncle), abuelito y abuelita (grandparents), and primo (cousin) gather, dressed to the nines to celebrate Jesus’s birth in fellowship with loved ones. Then the feast begins! Costa Ricans celebrate with a traditional meal of lechón asado (roast pork), gallo pinto (traditional Costa Rican rice and beans), tamales, and rompope—an eggnog-like liqueur.
After the meal comes the midnight mass called Misa del Gallo (“Mass of Roosters”). Elders and more religiously devout adults tend to go, along with the younger folks tasked that year with taking Abuela or Tia to church. Of course, not all Costa Ricans celebrate the religious element of the holiday. Many non-believers gladly attend Noche Buena festivities and enjoy them in a pretty secular fashion. After all, two of the most special parts of the night are the people you’re with and the meal you’ve gathered for.
Gifts are usually exchanged and opened around midnight or after Abuelita returns from Misa del Gallo. So everybody, including the children, stays up late into the evening. There’s tons of wine flowing, and every member of the family is catching up and gossiping on the latest tea. Families dance to merengue and salsa and listen to traditional Latinx Christmas music until the early morning.
Noche Buena is super festive, fun, and something everyone looks forward to all year. It means “good night”—and a good night it is.
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