The holiday season in Costa Rica is a time of joy, family gatherings, and rich traditions that weave together food, music, and community. Among the most cherished of these traditions is chocolate. Long before Christmas trees and fireworks, cacao was celebrated as a sacred gift by Indigenous peoples like the Maleku. Today, chocolate remains a centerpiece of Costa Rican holidays, blending ancient customs with modern celebrations.
At Blue Valley Chocolate, we see the holidays as a chance to share the warmth of cacao with visitors and locals alike. Here’s how Costa Rica celebrates the season with chocolate at the heart of it.
Cacao as a Sacred Gift
For the Maleku and other Indigenous groups, cacao was more than food. It was medicine, energy, and a way to connect with the divine. Ceremonial cacao drinks were shared during important moments of community life, including seasonal rituals tied to the cycles of nature.
These traditions still inspire us today. When families gather around warm cups of drinking cacao during the holidays, they’re not just sharing flavor. They’re continuing a ritual that has existed for centuries.
Chocolate Drinks for Family Gatherings
Costa Rican holidays often revolve around food, and hot drinks are central to the season. While many visitors expect coffee to take the spotlight, cacao has always been part of festive tables. Drinking chocolate, whisked until frothy and often flavored with cinnamon, chili, or cloves, is served at family gatherings alongside tamales and holiday breads.
It’s a drink that warms both body and spirit, carrying a sweetness that feels especially comforting at the year’s end.
Sweet Gifts and Homemade Treats
Exchanging gifts during the holidays is common in Costa Rica, and chocolate often makes the perfect present. Bars, truffles, and cacao nibs are wrapped in bright paper or tucked into baskets alongside coffee and tropical fruits.
In many households, families also prepare homemade chocolate desserts, from flan to cakes, which are shared with neighbors and friends. Giving chocolate is seen not only as indulgence but as generosity, a way to pass on joy.
Celebrations at Blue Valley Chocolate
Every December, our farm and factory in Guanacaste become a gathering place for visitors and families who want to experience chocolate traditions firsthand. Guests taste seasonal treats, join tours of the cacao trees, and sip warm drinking cacao while learning about the cultural history of the plant.
We also prepare special holiday editions of our bars, often infused with spices or fruits that echo Costa Rica’s festive spirit. And for those who cannot visit in person, our international shipping makes it possible to send a little holiday sweetness around the world.
Chocolate and Community
The holidays in Costa Rica are about more than decorations and parties. They’re about community. Chocolate plays a role in this by bringing people together. Whether it’s children sharing sweets, grandparents passing down stories of cacao, or visitors discovering traditions for the first time, chocolate becomes a thread that ties everyone closer.
To celebrate the holidays in Costa Rica with chocolate traditions is about honoring the past while embracing the present. From ceremonial cacao drinks to modern chocolate gifts, every taste carries a piece of history and a touch of joy.
At Blue Valley Chocolate, we are proud to be part of this story. When you share chocolate during the holidays, you’re sharing Costa Rica itself.
