Festival of the Diablitos 2024-2025 in Costa Rica

One of the most authentic festivals, it's dedicated to the victory of Boruca tribe over Spanish invadors

Dates: December 30–January 2

At the end of each year, the Boruca community in southern Costa Rica holds one of the nation's most vibrant indigenous cultural celebrations, the Fiesta de los Diablitos or Festival of Little Devils. This four-day event, running from December 30 to January 2, takes place in the village of Boruca, located within the tribe's indigenous reservation in the Talamanca Mountains. The festival combines ancient traditions, storytelling, and ceremonial masks to honor the Boruca heritage and reflect their resilience and cultural identity.

Festival Highlights

This annual Boruca festival marks their victory over the Spanish conquistadors in the town of the same name. The men wear huge masks, some of them representing people and some - animals. All of the masks commemorate the ancestors of the Boruca tribe. The bull represents Spanish conquistadors and other forces that tried to interfere with the Boruca people's lifestyle over the years.

Only Boruca men who have crafted their masks are allowed to participate in the festival's rituals. Boruca women play an essential, though less visible, role in organizing the event and preparing traditional food and chicha to sustain the male participants throughout the celebration.

Main Traditions

Throughout the four-day Fiesta de los Diablitos, the bull and diablitos engage in a lively, symbolic dance known as the Dance of the Diablitos, with staged combat around a central bonfire. Participants drink chicha, a traditional corn-based alcoholic beverage served in hollowed-out gourds. On the final day, the diablitos "defeat" the Spanish colonizers in a historic reenactment, symbolized by burning the bull costume on the bonfire. This act marks the end of the festival and is followed by jubilant celebrations among the community.

Locations

Over the years, the Fiesta de los Diablitos has become a powerful emblem of Boruca heritage and resistance to cultural assimilation. The festival is held annually in two locations: in Boruca at the turn of the year from late December through early January, and in Rey Curré during the first weekend of February. Both of these villages serve as important cultural centers for the Boruca indigenous community.

Typically, the Fiesta de los Diablitos welcomes the public, with visitors charged a $10 fee to take photos of the vibrant event.