Costa Rica Independence Day

The independence of Costa Rica is one of the most important events for the habitants of this beautiful and peaceful nation. Thanks to the initiative, vision, and guts of the people of the time is currently living in a free and sovereign country.

Costa Rica is in the American Continent, when discovered by Christopher Columbus, became a Spanish territory, governed from Guatemala as a regional government.

The Central American nations composed by Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua gave the fight until independence. The 15 of September of 1821 through the Captaincy General of Guatemala made the decision to become independent of Spain.

In Costa Rica, the news comes with the official document, the Act of Independence to the city of Cartago, (Old Capital of Costa Rica) on October 13, 1821. Meeting the town councils of the Province agree to accept and sign the document to be an independent nation. It officially subscribes on October 29, giving absolute faith with the Act the desire and total will of the Costa Ricans constituted as a sovereign and independent state. Since then, up to now is cared for as the greatest treasure and is celebrated every year on September 15 with great pride.

Independence Day is a national holiday where civic activities take place in almost all parts of the country. Wherever a school is located, patriotic parades are held; in each province capital, an official parade is realized. The national anthem is sung on the 14th at six o'clock in the afternoon, and it is expected that the Torch of Independence will pass through the main cities of the country and reach its destination in Cartago province.

The torch that is received on September 14 of each year at night comes from Guatemala, the tour begins so that in each nation coincides with the arrival of the news of its independence. It touches the towns of all the Central American countries, and is carried by students. It is received at each border by government authorities until it reaches to Cartago city.

In 1915 the current president, Alfredo González Flores, began the military decrease in the participation of national activities, replacing the participants with school students. And it was in 1948 that the army was abolished, becoming Costa Rica a pacifist nation, and this is how the parades have been integrated only by students of schools and colleges. Every year parade through the streets to commemorate national independence.

The symbol of the torch and its route maintains in a sublime way the memory of all those people who, at the time, on a horse at full gallop, carried from country to country the great responsibility with the news that has defined each one of the nations of Central America. The flame symbolizes energy, the path of freedom with strength and hope.

In the civic act, all the habitants of the country participate according to each town with the motivation to preserve the freedom and peace. Costa Rica has one of the most solid democracies in the world.

Cheer up! Travel to Costa Rica, live the experience of a country without an army, simple friendly people and respectful of nature.