Traditional Christmas foods in Costa Rica, on the other hand, include the tamal (corn flour dough stuffed with potatoes, vegetables and pork or chicken, then boiled in plantain leaves); pupusa (tortilla with cheese, corn and whatever); vigoron (cabbage, tomato, yucca and fried pork rind, served on a plantain leaf); and grilled pork, chicken and sausage. Many Costa Ricans also eat the traditional U.S. Christmas meal, but insist on their traditional tomal. The Christmas Tree

Costa Ricans decorate fragrant cypress trees with ornaments and lights. Sometimes they use the dried branches of coffee shrubs or a large evergreen branch instead. In addition, they adorn their trees with white paint, brightly colored strips of paper, small figures, and place and they place a gold star on top of the tree. Americans use fir, spruce or pine for their trees, but decorate the trees in similar ways.

Religious Influence on Celebrations

In contrast, religion permeates through the homes on a daily basis throughout the Christmas holiday. For instance, posadas take place during the nine days before Christmas. A posada consists of a group of neighbors getting together at a different neighbor's house each day to act out the pilgrimage of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. The closing ceremony to the Christmas season is January 6 (the date the three wise men arrived to worship Jesus) when neighbors get together for a special prayer for the Baby Jesus.
Conclusion

As we have seen, when it comes to Christmas, Costa Ricans have their own unique set of traditions for just about every aspect of celebrating this holiday. Underlying the differences with the U.S. are their strong ties to the Catholic religion and nationalism.