We did this crossing back in April, but going the other direction. This is a huge crossing, it will definitely be open on Christmas.
Everything was accepted on the Costa Rican side, dollars, colones and cordobas. The only fees were for fumigation and insurance, since you are going the other way, you won't need to pay this, but expect to when you reenter.
We entered Nicaragua from Honduras. You have to pay a $12 per person entry fee to enter Nica. At this border they accepted US dollars and cordobas. We did change money when leaving Nicaragua on the Nicaraguan side. And, we got a shockingly good rate. I don't remember seeing an ATM.
We wrote a report up about the crossing in painstaking detail, if you want more info: Nicaragua to Costa Rica Border Crossing | Life Remotely
Good luck!
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