Halloween in Costa Rica – Sexy Costumes and Partying

For the last four years I have been drawn like a magnet to San Jose, Costa Rica for Halloween. A few years prior I read a blog where the Blogger wrote how Halloween in Costa Rica is considered  nothing but a  “Gringo’s” pagan holiday, that was designed to seduce small children with candy and “not” an acceptable celebration among Ticos. Then it went on about this haunting, peasant folklore of El Cadejos – a young man (Joaquin) from Cartago who loved to party. After Joaquin got blindly drunk for a week straight, his father cursed and transformed him into El Cadejos, a terrifyingly huge black dog with fiery-red eyes destined to haunt Costa Rica forever, scaring those who don’t know when to stop their drunkenness.

I have heard that El Cadejos is  slang for massive hangover.

Well that may be ‘not acceptable” in some places, but in the tourists towns, it is a totally different story. And personally, many of the Costa Ricans look forward to it and it is very evident in local newspapers (in both Spanish and English) where businesses advertise, who has the hottest and best Halloween Party. Also, weeks before,  some of the  supermarkets Halloween cupcakes, cookies, pastries and decor start to appear.

If you ever want the chance to party, look at bizarre, cool and very sexy costumes, Costa Rica’s Halloween may be the perfect travel spot to let the howling out.

Years ago Costa Rica, October 31 has never been a day for costumes and trick or treaters, but as American-style Halloween celebrations started making their ways into communities, particularly those with a heavy expat populations things started to change for this ghoulish event.  Expats  started to organize Halloween events” by decorating their homes, have parties, and mini haunting houses to celebrate.  Gringos who opened up bars and restaurants started to capitalize on the October macabre – particularly the part that attracted the dress up part. Best costume contests with 1st place awards in cash were just the start.  It did not take long for  Costa Rican bars and restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs to jump on the October bandwagon.  Almost all the major stores now carry Halloween decor, makeup, and costumes.

View the Video for Aqua Discoteque Halloween Party 2010 in Tamarindo and tell me these people do not celebrate Halloween!

Places like the Hotel Del Rey and Key Largo become another hot spots for the obvious. Oh my!

And why not, Costa Rican’s are never ones to turn down a chance to party. I  look at it like Americans celebrating of Cinco de Mayo (not Mexican Independents Day as many believe); a holiday that Americans have capitalize on or bluntly putting it,  any fricken excuse to party.

For starters, name just about any tourist and or expats town, like Jaco, Tamarindo, Santa Ana, San Jose (particularly Gringo Gulch area) etc, the barmaids, waitresses and even the dealers in the casinos go all out in their costumes, make-up and body paint. And so do many of the patrons, both male and female. When talking to the bartender at the Sleep Inn in San Jose, she could not wait until 9pm, [that was when the bar closed] so she could head to party at a Tico bar right up the street. Her costume was Cat Women. And I bet she looked hot in it.

Also take this into consideration. Halloween has become so popular in the downtown section of San Jose, hotels like, Del Rey, Sportsmen’s, Sleep Inn, Amistad, Castillo, Dunn Inn and Hotel Little Havana are now being sold out (booked) 6-months in advance for the Halloween weekend.

At Chubbs  Sports Bar in San Jose,  Rock and Roll and Motor Bar in Santa Ana, it’s pretty much standing room only at around 10pm. And at the Little Marlin Bar across from Del Rey, the bartender (dressed up like Tinker Bell?) got so wasted, she had to sit to pour a cocktail. Lets not forget more tourists places like Jaco.  Claritas Beach Bar and Grill, Copa Cabana Hotel,  and Riviera extra security was called in to help keep the costume gawking crowd somewhat controllable.

Oh my, talk about  it’s “not an acceptable celebration!”

Personally, I believe the Halloween now has a duel subliminal meaning; 1) Costa Ricans NOW love the Gringo celebration and 2), Sorta an end to the raining season and the start of the dry or Holiday season.

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