Belated Merry Christmas to all of you readers of CostaRicaTodo.com. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration, for I most definitely have. The temperature was particularly cold as I celebrated the big day near the mountainside, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Fortunately or unfortunately, however, the celebrations are still not yet over. The last week of the year happens to be Costa Rica's most festive week, like in most other countries. People usually take the week off from work to have a vacation with the rest of their respective families.
One of the most celebrated events during this final week leading to the New Year is Tope Nacional, or the National Horse Parade. It is celebrated every 26th of December and actually has its rooms from the colonial era. It began with a simple horse race to honor St. John, but eventually evolved to become the country's largest equestrian display.
During the parade, the horses are trained and taught how to walk properly in a dance-like manner for the parade--quite different from the original celebrations. Some horses are even especially trained for this day. One can only imagine the immense amount of hard work poured into this event by the horse owners.
Horses are not the only animals that can be seen during the parade, though. One tradition is also to have beautifully decorated oxcarts paraded during the festival. Strong oxen pull the oxcarts, which are then directed by the skilled family heads while the rest of the family ride inside.
As for clothing, the thousands of people who usually attend the event typically wear their cowboy outfits. This event usually marks the start of the country's biggest year-end celebrations, the Fiestas de Zapotes (Zapote Parties), where the parades, celebrations, and parties typically go well into the night.
If you are in Costa Rica today, then you have made the right choice. The last week of the year is usually the country's finest display of its history and culture.
