Public Holiday Calendar Guide for Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Labour Code establishes a national calendar of legal public holidays and divides them into holidays with mandatory pay and holidays for which payment is not mandatory under the standard statutory classification.[1] This distinction affects wage calculations, but it does not mean that workers simply lose the right to observe a non-mandatory-pay holiday. The Ministry of Labour also confirms that the temporary system that moved selected holidays to Mondays was limited in duration, so it should not be treated as a permanent feature of Costa Rica's holiday calendar.[2][3]
Mandatory-Pay and Non-Mandatory-Pay Holidays
The Labour Code classifies New Year's Day, Juan Santamaría Day, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Labour Day, the Annexation of the Partido de Nicoya, Mother's Day, Independence Day and Christmas Day as mandatory-pay holidays. The Day of Our Lady of Los Ángeles, the Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture, and the Day of the Abolition of the Army are also legal holidays, but are classified as non-mandatory-pay holidays.[1]
The payment distinction is especially relevant for workers paid weekly in non-commercial activities, where the wage normally covers time actually worked. For monthly and fortnightly employees, and weekly paid employees in commercial activities, the regular salary already covers all days in the pay period, including holidays. Ministry of Labour guidance explains how an additional day's wage is added when such an employee works a holiday in order to complete the applicable double payment.[2][4]
Working on a Public Holiday
Costa Rican labour rules generally protect the worker's right to observe a legal holiday. Ministry of Labour guidance states that an employee is not ordinarily required to work on a holiday unless the employee agrees, subject to the statutory exceptions for activities that may legally operate under the Labour Code.[2] Refusing holiday work in circumstances where consent is required is not, by itself, a lawful basis for a sanction.[2]
For a mandatory-pay holiday, an employee who works is entitled to the remuneration necessary to produce double pay for that day's work.[2][4] The precise payroll calculation depends on whether the employee is paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly and on the type of activity. Overtime performed on a mandatory-pay holiday can produce a higher statutory rate because the overtime premium is calculated from the holiday rate.[2]
Holiday Transfers Are Not a Permanent Monday Rule
The idea that Costa Rica routinely moves midweek public holidays to Monday is outdated. A temporary legislative measure moved selected holidays to Mondays for a limited period as a way to encourage domestic tourism and economic activity.[3] That temporary mechanism should not be generalized into a permanent holiday-transfer rule.
Current Ministry of Labour guidance shows holidays being observed on the day assigned to them by the Labour Code and expressly notes for individual observances that their enjoyment is not transferred to another date.[2][5] For future planning, use the official calendar published by the Ministry of Labour rather than assuming that a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday holiday will create a long weekend.
Juan Santamaría and the National Campaign
Juan Santamaría Day is rooted in Costa Rica's National Campaign against the forces of William Walker. The Juan Santamaría Historical Cultural Museum documents the Battle of Rivas as a major episode of that campaign and identifies Santamaría as a Costa Rican soldier remembered for setting fire to the Mesón de Guerra during the battle.[6][7]
Santamaría became a symbol of Costa Rican nationality and the defence of national sovereignty.[7] The holiday therefore commemorates more than an individual soldier: it forms part of the country's public memory of the wider Central American struggle against Walker's filibuster forces.[6]
Religion, Family and Afro-Costa Rican Heritage
The calendar also reflects Costa Rica's religious and social traditions. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are mandatory-pay holidays, while the observance dedicated to Our Lady of Los Ángeles is a legal holiday classified as non-mandatory pay.[1] The latter is associated with one of the country's most important Catholic devotions.
Mother's Day has the status of a mandatory-pay legal holiday rather than being merely an informal family celebration.[1][4] The Day of the Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture is a non-mandatory-pay legal holiday and recognises Afro-Costa Rican identity and culture within the national calendar.[1][5]
Independence, Guanacaste and the Abolition of the Army
Several holidays mark defining civic events. Independence Day is a mandatory-pay holiday, while the Annexation of the Partido de Nicoya commemorates the historical incorporation associated with what is now Guanacaste.[1] The Day of the Abolition of the Army is a legal holiday classified as non-mandatory pay.[1]
Together, these observances make the calendar a useful outline of Costa Rican civic identity: independence, the territorial and political history of Guanacaste, national defence during the National Campaign, and the country's later association with the abolition of its standing army all have places in the statutory holiday framework.[1][6]
Practical Planning for Businesses and Visitors
The legal status of a holiday does not establish a universal opening schedule for every bank, supermarket, restaurant, attraction or transport operator. The Labour Code regulates holidays and employment rights, not a single set of business hours for all establishments.[1] Visitors should therefore confirm opening times directly with the service they intend to use rather than assume that all private businesses close.
For employers, the most reliable approach is to check the Ministry of Labour's official holiday calendar and guidance for the relevant period.[2] This avoids two common errors: treating a non-mandatory-pay holiday as though it were not a legal holiday at all, and relying on the former temporary Monday-transfer system when planning staffing, payroll or travel.
Frequently Asked Questions about Holidays in Costa Rica
What is the difference between mandatory-pay and non-mandatory-pay holidays?
Both categories are legal public holidays. The distinction primarily affects how the holiday is remunerated, particularly for workers paid weekly in non-commercial activities.[1][5] Monthly and fortnightly salaries, and weekly salaries in commercial activities, normally already include payment for all days in the relevant pay period.[2][5]
What happens if an employee works on a mandatory-pay holiday?
Ministry of Labour guidance provides for the employee to receive the remuneration required to complete double pay for the holiday worked.[2][4] The payroll mechanics differ according to the employee's normal payment method.
Can an employer require an employee to work on a public holiday?
The Ministry of Labour states that workers generally are not obliged to work on legal holidays unless they agree, subject to statutory exceptions for activities covered by the relevant Labour Code provisions.[2] A worker who refuses in circumstances where consent is required cannot be sanctioned merely for that refusal.[2]
Are Costa Rican public holidays automatically moved to Monday?
No. The Monday-transfer system applied to selected holidays under a temporary legislative measure and should not be treated as a permanent rule.[3] Current official guidance identifies holidays that remain on their legally assigned day rather than being transferred.[2][5]
Is the Day of Our Lady of Los Ángeles a paid public holiday?
It is a legal public holiday, but the Labour Code classifies it as a non-mandatory-pay holiday.[1] That classification affects remuneration rules; it does not mean that the day is excluded from the statutory holiday calendar.
Are businesses required to close on every public holiday?
The Labour Code establishes employee holiday rights but does not impose one universal opening timetable on every private establishment.[1] Shops, restaurants, attractions and transport services may therefore have different operating arrangements, and their hours should be checked directly.
Sources
- Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica- Procuraduría General de la República de Costa Rica
- APLICACIÓN DE FERIADOS DEL AÑO 2026- Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, Gobierno de Costa Rica
- Feriado del 15 de septiembre se traslada a lunes 19- Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, Gobierno de Costa Rica
- Feriado del Día de la Madre es de pago obligatorio- Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, Gobierno de Costa Rica
- 31 de Agosto es feriado de pago no obligatorio- Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, Gobierno de Costa Rica
- Campaña Nacional- Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría
- Juan Santamaría- Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría