Anna in Costa Rica

One of my favorite celebrations is the Lunar New Year, because it’s a beloved family tradition and a part of my cultural heritage. This year, I had the opportunity to experience the Lunar New Year in Costa Rica, and I witnessed a blend of both Chinese and Costa Rican cultures.

On Friday, Feb. 9th, I went to a Lunar New Year party hosted by my friend Natasha, who is also studying abroad. I brought a large bottle of festive red tea (red is a lucky color), and my other friends prepared fried tofu and vegetable dumplings. Natasha invited some people from her dance class, and we showed them how to make dumplings. 🥟

The evening was an interesting mix of speaking in Spanglish with ticos, and sharing the food and traditions of the Lunar New Year.

Saturday Feb. 10th was the official start of the Lunar New Year, so Natasha and I went to two Lunar New Year celebrations: one in the Chinatown of San José, and the other in the city of Cartago. The festivals were organized by the Municipality of San José, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese Association in Costa Rica, with the aim of celebrating cultural diversity and promoting cultural exchange & collaboration.

Chinatown came alive with festive red and gold decorations, lanterns, and open market booths with souvenirs, activities, delicious Chinese food, and more. At the beginning of the event, there was an opening ceremony, conducted in both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, on a grand stage. Since it is the Year of the Wood Dragon, we saw a lively dragon dance, beautiful traditional Chinese dances and music, and martial artists. The place was packed with people of all ages and walks of life. I heard both the Costa Rican National Anthem and the Chinese National Anthem, and representatives from both nations exchanged hearty greetings and well wishes for the new year. It was unliked anything I’ve ever experienced!

For lunch, my friend and I found a Chinatown restaurant called LICHA Li’tea, and we enjoyed ramen, tofu, and spring rolls!

After the Chinatown festival, I was feeling pretty drained and sunburnt, so I probably should have called it a day. But we still had one more stop in Cartago to see the festivities there. The celebrations in Cartago were pretty similar, with lines of booths, food and drinks, big crowds, and live performances. I was feeling very out of it, unfortunately, so I mostly sat and observed. Natasha and I went to a boba tea café called Ni Hao, and we practiced our Chinese. She is fluent in Chinese, so she’s a great conversation partner! I know tip-of-the-iceberg Mandarin, so it was good review for me.

Afterward, we marveled at the stunning interior and exterior of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles at dusk. It was my second visit to this historic church, which was inaugurated in 1924. Over 3 million people make a pilgrimage (Aug. 2) to the Basilica every year, and attend the church for daily prayer and religious service. La Virgen de los Ángeles is a similar to the Virgen of Guadalupe in Mexican culture, and appears in the form of a small stone above several faucets of holy water. Many people visit the Virgen to pray, provide offerings, and bless themselves with the holy water.

If you ever travel to Costa Rica, and stop in the former capital of Cartago, I definitely recommend visiting the Basilica de los Ángeles.

Overall, this weekend trip was incredibly fun, exciting and exhausting. I appreciate that I had the opportunity to enjoy the festivities of Lunar New Year in another country; it was an unforgettable experience and I would definitely do it again! (With more water, lots of sunscreen, and a midday nap next time!!)