Independence Day!
Even though Independence did not reach Costa Rica until October 1821, Independence Day is celebrated on September 15th and the flame is carried through Central America each year  reminding everyone of the 184 years of freedom.

The freedom torch unites Central America in celebration as each year it makes it way from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, to Costa Rica. Panama was not part of the Central American Federation and though it does not celebrate the 15th of September, it does unite with Costa Rica in the festivities and joins in the friendly relations of the two countries

Each town gives each own special welcome to the torch.

More than 7.000 students from all over the country participated in the 350 kilometre run from Peñas Blancas (the northern border with Nicaragua) to San José.

The torch left Guatemala on September 11, being carried throughout the Central American nations and set to arrive at the Panama border by tonight.

The tradition began 60 years ago, when Costa Rican professor Alfredo Cruz  Bolaños planted the idea to commemorate symbolically the spread of the news of the independence.

In Costa Rica Transit officials and members of the Red Cross accompanied the students along the run.

Parades, marching bands and all different kinds of festivities are going on in all communities around Costa Rica.


The history of Independence
The independence of Costa Rica, is a process that lasted several months, and even years. The date of the 15th of September was adopted by the Central American Federation 184 years ago, although it in fact does not agree with the actual date of the independence of the country.

From whom and how Costa Rica became independent is a subject of history that fills many Costa Ricans with doubts and confusion. The independence of Costa Rica was not an single act, but one of a process. 

The events as they unfolded:

Firstly: Chiapas, today belongs to Mexico, was declared independent by Spain and called on Guatemala to do the same. Chiapas was a province as the rest of the other territories in Central America.

Secondly: Guatemala in an open town hall meeting decides on the 15th of September to declare independent that piece of land and not of all Central America, as is commonly mistaken.

The decision is then communicated to the other provinces. In Costa Rica, they had no idea of what was to come.

Third: A copy of the act of independence arrives on the 27th of September at the provincial capital of Leon, to which Costa Rica belonged. 

Fourth: On the 11th of October, the province formed by Costa Rica and Nicaragua is declared independent of Spain, but dependent of the Empire of Iturbide, Emperor of Mexico.

Fifth: On the 29th of October, Costa Rica supports the position of Leon to separate definitively from Spain, although Costa Rica is still tied to Mexico.

Thus it wasn't until the 1st of December when Costa Rica approved to the Pacto de Concord, Costa Rica's first constitution.

Costa Rica, together with Nicaragua, for a period of time followed the Empire of Iturbide until 1823, when after the first civil war, an independent government body was formed and located in San José and declared itself an independent state.

Costa Rica belonged to the República Federal Centroamericana which in 1824, decided to celebrate the 15th of September as the date of independence.