Mother's Day Tradition of the August 15 To Continue
Legal holiday or not, Costa Ricans celebrated Mother's Day as it has been the tradition.  Confusion, though, is the word that best described August 15 this year.

Many businesses decided to close for the day. A number of retail shops on the Avenida Central (the Boulevard) had their doors shut, while others continued to do a brisk business for last minute Mother's Day shoppers.

Whatever the decision, one was clear, yesterday, August 15th, was Mother's Day and no mother was left without a gift.

To end the confusion, Legislative Deputy, Jorge Eduardo Sánchez, presented a bill on Friday, August 12, specifically to move the Mother's Day celebration back to August 15. Sanchez said he considers the current legislation that moves weekday holidays to a the following Monday a "barbaridad" (a barbarity).

"There are celebrations that we cannot change (move to another day). How can we celebrate Mother's Day, when the day has been traditionally celebrated on the 15th?... It makes no sense", said Sánchez.

Sánchez added that is proposal is based on national sentiment because for Ticos there are dates that are untouchable and Mother's Day is one of those.

Sánchez believes that his proposal will receive the full support of the Legislature and that next year Mother's day and other special holidays, like July 25, will go back to tradition.

Yesterday was for the most part a normal day in Costa Rica. Mothers had to get up early as usual to get the kids ready for school, and/or get ready for work and run a usual to attend to the needs of the family, no matter that Mother's Day has always been on August 15.

Though the day was not a holiday. deliveries of flowers were being made all over the country. Mothers received their gifts and lunch and dinner celebrations were the norm. It would be unheard of to go the day without honouring mother.

The change of date came as a result of legislation approved last year that moves weekday holidays - except September 15 (Dia de Independencia) and October 12 (Dia de la Culturas -formerly, Razas) - to the following Monday to allow for a "long weekend".

The July 25 celebrations, the day Guanacaste celebrates its annexation to Costa Rica, began the controversy as the holiday also fell on a Tuesday but the legal holiday was moved to the 31st. President Oscar Arias and his ministers attended the celebrations of the 25th and under pressure vowed to have the holiday moved back to its original day.

Francisco Morales, Ministro de Trabajo (Labour Minister) said that he already has the legal papers ready to move back the holidays to their traditional celebrations, but will first ned to consult with the tourism sector as well as the unions and the Poder Ejecutive (Executive Branch) to present the legislation to Congress.

A number of visitors to Costa Rica who contacted Insidecostarica.com expressed confusion as well, telling us that they changed their travel plans to the following week not to lose a business day in the plans, not realizing that next Monday will be the legal holiday.