(QCOSTARICA) Today is August 15, and like every August 15th, it is Mother’s Day in Costa Rica – a day celebrating a time-honored tradition when mothers are showered with gifts, flowers and goodies.
Costa Rican society revolves around tradition and family ties and the role of the mother is evident in virtually every household.
The day is also a legal holiday. Banks, offices, government offices, schools and professional services, such as doctors, dentists, lawyers,etc. are closed today. Commerical centres are open, as are most retail stores.
Mother’s Day is one of the holiday in Costa Rica where an employee can refuse to work on the day without reprisals. However, those who do work on Mother’s Day will receive double pay for the day.
This year Mother’s Day falls on a Sunday, a long weekend. But this holiday cannot be moved to any other day, the following Monday, for example, to make a long weekend of it. It was tried several years back against strong criticism. The result was two holidays, one the 15th as tradition calls, the other on the Monday following. The moving the holiday was abandoned.
Although Mother’s Day may be celebrated differently depending on one’s social status, one thing is certain, no mother goes unnoticed on this very special day.
So, don’t forget to wish today every woman you know or meet today a “feliz dia de la madre!”.
