The celebration of independence in Costa Rica can be viewed as a brilliant display of national pride, but that national pride has been planted in the Ticos through rituals and traditions, which promote specific inclinations and emotions. Many businesses close for the national holiday and the Ticos participate in the festivities or simply take a day of rest (Fisher 1999). However, participation in the festivities or lack there of cannot prove or disprove one's support for the nation, because the festivities are carried out in order to influence the people as well as to serve as an act of loyalty ( Duncan 1998). The traditions embedded in the celebration are symbolic elements used to unify and shape the nation.

      National celebrations contrast with religious celebrations in what they emphasize and honor. Although Costa Rica is a very religious nation, religious elements do not enter in the realm of this national celebration. The celebration is not recognizing a supernatural, superior being, which is an element of religion (Turner and Turner 1982). Instead, it is celebrating and boasting in its national heroes through use of national symbols. One of the most prominent symbols of the celebration is the national flag. A national flag is directly associated with a specific country. It is a unique symbol for a single nation-state, whereas religious symbols, such as a cross, can span many nations and states. For the month of September, the national flag can be seen almost everywhere in Costa Rica (Brattemark). By displaying the flag, a feeling of belonging/pride influences and unites the Ticos.

        The stress put upon the youth in celebrating independence strongly supports the backbone of the celebration, which is to kindle assurance and pride for the nation in the mind-sets of the Ticos. Brattemark explains, “The youngsters are urged to follow the ancestor's example and work to fight against the ignorance, the poverty, the illiteracy, and the violence and to conserve the national sovereignty” (Brattemark). Children are impressionable, and by teaching them the culture of Costa Rica , the nation is attempting to secure its future. Memories of childhood are oftentimes treasured, and by having children participate in dances and parades, creating and displaying colorful lanterns, and carrying a torch that symbolizes freedom, the elements of culture many times become familiar, comforting memories. The annual celebration allows the Ticos to relive those memories and embrace the national culture.

      National celebrations serve as leveling devices for the people of the nation by removing the normal, everyday circumstances and uniting the people under a common focus with distinct rituals and traditions that make similarities seem more prominent than differences (Dorson 1982). The national independence day of Costa Rica is a classic national celebration in that it focuses on commonalities between the Ticos, is recognized by the national government, and is celebrated nationwide. Daily routines tend to exemplify inequalities in social structure. Therefore, the celebration is a way of appeasing any aggressions towards social structure by renewing feelings of equality and sameness (Bruce 2003). The independence day of Costa Rica unifies by lightening lines of social status.

        Politically, the celebration is a tool used to embed feelings of assurance in the government by linking politics with history. Duncan states, (1998: 250) “The dilemma is finding an appropriate history that serves not only to unify and instruct, but to express both hegemony and power relationships.” Even though the Ticos are a relatively homogeneous population, not everyone has the same history, and so deciding upon which history to celebrate is important. In present day Costa Rica , it is the ancestors of the Ticos that fought for the independence, and created the history that calls for annual celebration. However, those ancestors did not all support the same cause in the times of early Costa Rica . For example, the Indians did not appreciate the brutality and disease imposed upon them, and did not support the Spanish rule. These histories that clash with the current government and politics can be repressed through the progress of time and strategic efforts by the controlling elite. In this case, a way of suppressing the other histories is by creating a legal holiday to celebrate the chosen history. The political workings have been occurring since the beginning of independence: “Nation-creation erases local traditions in favor of refashioned national histories, and makes cultural traditions the property of the state” (Bruce 2003). National celebrations, such as Costa Rica 's independence day, are essentially political because they call for support of the national government and its history. Politically, the Independence Day unifies the Ticos under their national government.

          Independence Days are celebrated in many countries worldwide. Although the histories are different, the purpose of national holidays spans many cultures. Costa Rica's independence day, similar to independence days for other nations, shapes and brings together a nation of people with the use of symbols and rituals.