On 31 October, kids knock on doors and shout «¡Dulce o truco!» — trick or treat. Here's how Halloween is lived in Santa Teresa, what 1 and 2 November mean in Costa Rica, and 10 words to enjoy it in Spanish.
Halloween in Santa Teresa
In Costa Rica, Halloween is celebrated mostly with parties. In Santa Teresa there are usually parties at places like Kooks and Tikiliano, and in Montezuma at Chico's Bar.
Foreigners who live here celebrate it above all for their children: costumes, sweets and a lot of «¡Dulce o truco!».
This article is about Halloween 2026; places and parties may change in other years.
1 and 2 November: two very different days
- 1 November, Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day): Catholics in Costa Rica celebrate it.
- 2 November, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): here it is a sad day. People go to the cemetery to visit their family members who have died, and they clean and paint the graves, among other things. It is not the colourful festival you may know from Mexico.
10 Spanish words for Halloween
| Spanish | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Dulce o truco! | trick or treat (what kids say at the door) | Los niños tocan la puerta y gritan: «¡Dulce o truco!» |
| el disfraz / disfrazarse | costume / to dress up | ¿De qué te vas a disfrazar? |
| la calabaza | pumpkin | Vamos a tallar una calabaza con una vela adentro. |
| la bruja | witch | Mi hija se disfrazó de bruja. |
| el fantasma | ghost | ¡Hay un fantasma en la cocina! |
| la calavera | skull | La calavera de la decoración brilla en la oscuridad. |
| el murciélago | bat | De noche salen los murciélagos. |
| la telaraña | spider web | Hay una telaraña en la puerta. |
| ¡Qué miedo! | How scary! | ¡Qué miedo esa película! |
| Me dio un susto | It gave me a fright | Me dio un susto cuando se fue la luz. |
Mini quiz: 5 questions
1. How do you say «trick or treat» in Spanish?
- Dulce o truco
- Caramelo o broma
- Fiesta o susto
See the answer
Answer: a) Dulce o truco
2. Complete: «¿De qué te vas a ___?»
- disfrazar
- disfraz
- disfrazado
See the answer
Answer: a) disfrazar
3. What do Catholics in Costa Rica celebrate on 1 November?
- Día de Todos los Santos
- Día de los Muertos
- Halloween
See the answer
Answer: a) Día de Todos los Santos
4. What do families do on 2 November in Costa Rica?
- They visit the cemetery and clean and paint the graves
- They throw a costume party
- They go trick-or-treating
See the answer
Answer: a) They visit the cemetery and clean and paint the graves
5. «Me dio un susto» means…
- It gave me a fright
- I'm tired
- I'm hungry
See the answer
Answer: a) It gave me a fright
A Halloween gift 🎃
Book your $12 online trial class before 2 November and I'll give you a PDF with this Halloween vocabulary. Write to me on WhatsApp and start your message with «¡Dulce o truco!».
Un BUEN consejo: bien, buen and bueno →
Costa Rican phrases you will hear in Santa Teresa →
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