The Costa Rica national football is dearly beloved by the people. You see soccer fields everywhere throughout the country, and you may be surprised how often you see either a pick-up game or an organized local team practicing in these fields. If a game is on, the locals are watching. Soccer (futbol in Spanish) is absolutely everything to Ticos. You can even use it to express how you are doing when asked. Pura Vida is often used as a greeting or farewell. “Pure life” embodies the idea of enjoying life instead of rushing through it. Pura Vida is the phrase of the Costa Ricans and also their way of life. Here is an overview of some of the special ways Costa Rican locals are set apart. Ticos are extremely friendly people with rich history and custom. The phrase came from the common habit of Costa Ricans adding “tico” to the end of words. “Tico” is used for men, and “tica” for women. The term “ticos” is the collective name Costa Ricans gave themselves. It is important to understand their culture not only to fit in, but to also respect their traditions and way of life. I could obviously go on, but I believe the above list represents common aspects of the culture that can help you to adapt to and have a better experience of Costa Rica.Whether you are vacationing or moving to Costa Rica, you are going to be spending much time with the locals. A good example of tico politeness is their non-use of the informal form of the personal pronoun you, which in Spanish is “tú,” opting rather to use the more formal “usted.” It pays to learn to hold one’s temper and learn to say please and thank you. Tico culture is for the most part extremely polite and cordial. They are also known to administer “lessons in patience” when confronted with examples of gringo impatience.ġ0. I believe they have had to learn that from enduring endless lines at banks and government run monopolies like ICE (the telephone company). Ticos are extremely patient people for the most part. The normal Costa Rican lady (note, that I am not talking about the ones found in the “Hotel Del Rey”) is quite conservative, even though not shy about dressing and carrying herself in a way that men find irresistible.ĩ. A man can be fooled into believing that due to the sensuality and sexiness of the ticas, that their attitudes about sex in general are liberal. So if you happen to be the object of admiring glances, or “piropos” (flirtatious remarks), it is better to be flattered than offended.Ĩ. Tico men are not shy at all about expressing the fact that they believe a woman to be attractive. Holidays are always family-centered events.ħ. Family get-togethers are a frequent happening, especially on the weekends. The country is small, so you are never too far away from extended family members. If you ever get a chance to watch a couple who really know their stuff, it can be quite an amazing sight.Ħ. The most típico (again, traditional) style of dance is the “swing-criollo” style of cumbia that ticos dance in a way that is very unique to their culture. Pura vida literally means “pure life” and is used most often in greetings, such as in the typical exchange…”como esta?”…response: “pura vida.” Mae is a slang expression, and is used to represent what in English would commonly be replaced with “man” or “dude,” as in “how’s it going, dude?”…”como esta, mae?”ĥ. The two most noticeable are the use of the phrase “pura vida” and the repeated use of the word “mae” in informal conversations. Like all Latin countries, ticos have their own idiosyncratic and colloquial expressions. Hence the often heard phrase, “tico-time,” usually used by gringos to refer to the fact that ticos are routinely late.Ĥ. Ticos are very laid-back when it comes to time issues and punctuality. Also, the “típico” (or traditional) meal served at lunch is called a “casado” and is a “marriage” (hence the name…casado, which means married in Spanish) of rice, beans, a meat of choice, platano maduro (or, ripe plantain), salad and potato or yuca, sometimes also served with a fried egg on top.ģ. As far as food is concerned, the signature “dish” of Costa Rica is gallo pinto, which is a rice and beans mix that is served at breakfast. Therefore, even if they don’t agree with you, there may be signals that they do, and this can be a bit confusing.Ģ. Ticos are a very peaceful people, except when they are driving an automobile (or moto…motorcycle). Based on my observations after living here for some time, here are ten aspects of the tico culture that you might want to know about….ġ. Of course, the concept of “culture” cuts across all aspects of life. Many of our customers at Package Costa Rica are interested in knowing what the culture here is like. As with all Latin American countries, Costa Rica is rich in culture and tradition. Tico Culture – Ten Things You Might Want to Know
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