September 15th in Costa Rica

Independence Day in Costa Rica

September 15^th is Independence Day here in Costa Rica, and it happens to be one of my favorite events all year. Everyone in town gets dressed up in the national colors or even in the traditional clothing, and heads downtown for the big parades. I love to go down there to photograph people in the community with their kids to be able to give them the photos afterwards. They put so much effort into their costumes and making the festivities so much fun I think it’s nice for them to have some photos to document the day. The evening before, on September 14^th, the local children parade around town with Faroles. Faroles are home made lanterns made in the shape of something representative of Costa Rica. It could be an ox cart, a fishing boat, anything as long as it is something that represents national pride. On September 15th in Costa Rica, all the schools and other organizations parade downtown, with the children finally showing off the routines they have been practicing for months at school. This normally consists of a marching band or a type of dance. The cheerful mood is contagious, and I always try to walk around and get good photos to give away to the parents of the kids who have worked so hard preparing. It’s always fun to walk in and out of the parades, trying to find interesting colors and moments.