Preparing For Semana Santa in Costa Rica
With 15 days to go, Costa Rica is getting ready for "Semana Santa" - Easter week - and that means a break from work and a time to enjoy the beaches, mountain resorts and traditional fish dishes like the "ceviche", one of the most common dishes on Costa Rican tables for this time of year.

Hotels in the coastal areas report that they are almost completely booked for Semana Santa and are urging to make their reservations as soon as possible or risk being disappointed. A poll by the Cámara Costarricense de Hoteles reveals that 90-95% of rooms are already booked.

Semana Santa this year begins on April 2 and ends on April 7, however, for many, the holiday begins Friday after work.

In Costa Rica, the legal holidays are Good Thursday (April 5) and Good Friday (April 6) when the "dry" law kicks in, meaning that the sale of liquor, beer and wine will be suspended beginning at 12:01am Thursday and end midnight Friday, when all bars, restaurants and supermarkets will have to close off their alcohol sales.

In effect, bars will be shut down, as the police will visit each establishment to seal their doors, restaurants will remain open but cannot serve alcohol with their meals, and supermarkets will have to bare their alcohol shelves. Many stock up for the two days leading up to the "dry" days.

Banks typically closed Thursday and Friday and have reduced hours on Wednesday. Some banks will re-open on Saturday, while others stay closed until Monday. It is best to check with your bank branch for the holiday hours.

For the most part large retail stores and supermarkets will stay open during Semana Santa, however, may have holiday hours for Thursday and Friday. Many smaller retail stores traditionally close the entire week of Semana Santa, giving their employees time off to be with their families.

Also, Semana Santa is a time for confusion as many businesses and government offices are closed, some for the entire week, while others only Thursday and Friday.

Adding to the confusion, this year the government announced that all public employees of the central government will be required to work the Monday and Tuesday of Semana Santa, moving away from the tradition of giving the entire week off.  But this may or may not affect public employees of the autonomous institutions, like ICE - the telecom company - or INS - the insurance company - as they yet have to announce their holiday hours.

During Semana Santa, San José traditionally becomes a virtual ghost town. It seems like the whole city goes to the beach or to other destinations.