Mother's Day & Assumption Day
Sat, Aug 15
|National Holiday
Assumption Day is also known as the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (assumed bodily into Heaven.) Being a primarily catholic country, combining this with Mother's Day makes sense as Mary is considered “The Mother of Us All” in Roman Catholicism
When & Where
Aug 15, 2026, 12:00 AM – 11:59 PM
National Holiday
The Details
The Assumption of Mary has been a church tradition since at least the 4th Century A.D., but it was not an officially recognised Catholic dogma until the 1950 declaration of Pope Pious XII.
Costa Rica is unique in that it blends Assumption Day with Mother’s Day. That is, 15 August is the date of both holidays in Costa Rica. Most Costa Ricans are Catholic, and combining the two holidays makes sense. Mary is considered “The Mother of Us All” in Roman Catholicism and the perfect example for all other mothers. She is also called the Mother of God because she gave birth to Jesus Christ.
On 15 August, government offices shut down in Cost Rica, and schools and businesses will normally close down too. Almost everyone is off. And if you have to work on this holiday, by government mandate, you must be paid double-time. Commercialisation has set in, to…