157,000 public employees will be on vacation from December 16th and will return on January 2nd.  The Executive branch assures that  500 million colones, nearly $1 million,  were saved by authorizing a similar mandatory vacation in 2004.  Particularly in the areas of water, electricity, telephone and Internet usage.

The Judicial Branch will take a break from December 23rd to January 16th. The Minister of Laber, Fernando Trejos, explained that 9 working days will be deducted from bureaucrats’  vacation days. The holidays December 25th and January 1st fall on Sundays, so they are not counted, leaving 10 working days from the 16th to the 2nd.  Public officials get a an official day off to enjoy the Christmas Festivals, so that cannot be counted as a vacation day.

Many private sector businesses will close between Christmas Day and the New Year, although in recent years the traditional break has not been as widely observed.