The True Meaning of the Holiday Season in Costa Rica!
Every year near the end of October the Christmas season starts picking up steam in Costa Rica. All over the country people start to decorate their homes. Shops roll out the red carpet with all the glitz and glitter they can muster to attract shoppers into spending their hard earned colones.
The AARP Ranks Atenas as…One of “The Best Places to Retire Abroad.”
Here in the Atenas countryside things are a bit more laid back. The dry season has begun, the days are breezy with bright blue skies. The coffee harvest is in full swing. In the little pueblos that dot Costa Rica, the decorations come out too, literally, with most people putting their Christmas trees on the front porch.
Traditionally in Costa Rica, during the two weeks from Christmas to New Years, everyone takes their annual vacations, spending extra time with the family. This is also the peak season for beach goers. Tamales and fruit cakes are made and shared between neighbors. An extra 5 minutes is spent in the street talking and catching up on the years events.
Also in Costa Rica, Christmas Eve is more important than Christmas Day. Families gather the night of Christmas Eve to enjoy a family dinner, eat tamales and have a few drinks. For good measure dancing and fireworks are thrown into the mix. Gifts are also exchanged but not to the exaggerated extent that we are used to in the United States. Many gifts are homemade or just one nice gift. One year I received something as simple as a single bath towel that I still have and use to this day.
Almost all families have a nativity scene (portal) which is displayed prominently in their home. If you see the display before midnight on December 24th you will notice that baby Jesus is missing. Tradition has it that the Christ child cannot be placed in the manger until midnight Christmas Eve. Placing el niño in the manger is a big deal. In Gerardo’s family, when the clock strikes midnight, his father takes baby Jesus in his arms and brings him to each family member and friend to kiss before he is lovingly place in the manger.
Living here in Costa Rica has helped me to remember the true meaning of Christmas. We have more time to really enjoy one another’s company and we don’t even think about what gifts we need to buy and give. My mother and I make all the goodies that we have always been accustomed to having for Christmas and enjoy sharing those goodies with our friends and family.
One of our best gifts this year was getting wonderful new neighbors. John and Gay Boggs moved into our neighborhood in September and enjoyed their first Christmas in Costa Rica. Gay was so excited about a few of the simple experiences they have had that she wrote me a note that in my opinion really sums up the true meaning of Christmas.
Ramon y Feliz Navidad
There is a dear sweet-hearted man who takes care of our little community … Ramon. When he shows up early in the morning to start his day, he greets us with “BUENAS Dias!!!” It’s always “good”!!! He cheerfully tills the soil, plants the plants, tends the fruit and veggies and is so proud of the harvest!
Ramon always smiles. He lives in a cottage at the entrance to our community and even though the owner wants to fix up the cottage for Ramon, he refuses. Ramon is happy sleeping in a hammock, and cooking his food over a wire grate barbecue. When we pass by at times, we see corn drying in his front yard to be ground into maiz … for tamales, tortillas …
The roadway up to our houses is lined with hibiscus on one side and corn on the other. Ramon brings us ears of corn that he is so proud of with kernels that look like they’ve been on steroids- the best corn we’ve ever eaten. So much so that the rest of dinner is forgotten. And then beans…. black eyed peas, black beans, red beans, so fresh and so good!
On Christmas Day, a smiling Ramon showed up at our door holding up a bag of chorreadas (corn pancakes) that he had just cooked over the fire … the BEST gift ever! A gift from the heart .. it made us teary-eyed … and so GOOD! Our primero Christmas in our new home …
P.S. … not to mention the blissfully to-die-for orange fruit cake, the loverly lasagna and all the goodies that our vecinos had prepared for us … are we blessed in our new home or what? Feliz Navidad everyone y Feliz Ano Nuevo. We are excited to see what the new year brings!
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The True Meaning of the Holiday Season in Costa Rica!
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Andrew Makarik
to@welovecostarica.comAndrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.
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