Exploring Costa Rica Guidebook

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Tiquicia

WHEN it comes to food, music or art, there's no doubt that this little nation has more than its share of idiosyncrasies that make it unique. Here are some explanations of some of the customs and traditions to be found only in tiquicia.

Bullfights: The Big Tease

UNLIKE Spanish bullfights, the Costa Rican variety does not involve killing the bull.

Central Markets: A Little of Everything

Cimarronas and Mascaradas

CIMARRONAS, which means wild, are Tico bands that include trumpets, saxophones, trombones, cymbals and bombos, or big drums, to accompany mascaradas (clowns) at festivals and parades.

That “Cup of Java”

ONCE the backbone of the Costa Rican economy more than a century and a half ago, land was given free to any farmer who would plant it coffee has taken second place to tourism and computer-chip giant, Intel.

Dichos: For a Little Color

Don & Doña: Use Liberally

THESE titles for Mr. and Ms., which originally meant of noble origin, are used as a general term of respect for anyone from the President to the owner of the corner soda.

Farmers’ Markets:

CALLED ferias, these are held in most towns and  San José neighborhoods, usually on Saturday mornings.

Festejos Patronales/Turnos

ONE of the delights of Costa Rica, for people who like to pachanguear (party), is the fact that virtually every month brings a new reason to celebrate when one town or another honors its patron saint.

Oxcarts: A Source of Pride

UNESCO declared Costa Rica's oxcarts a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity last year.

Piropos

THESE comments from men to  women on the street are a part of life here, and can range from genuinely  friendly greetings to creepy come-ons it s all in the tone of voice.

Some Public Lovin’

MANY Costa Ricans are famously fond of public displays of affection.

“Suicide Showers”

HOT-water tanks are rare here in middle-class homes and less expensive hotels.

Telling It Like It Is

PART of the famed Costa Rican good humor is a cheerful tendency to be surprisingly straightforward about race and other physical characteristics.

Tico Time

THIS brief glossary may appear condescending, but is based on experience.

Two Last Names

HOORAY – a language where women aren’t forced to abandon their last names when they marry.

Wine, Beer & Spirits

ALTHOUGH Costa Ricans are very fond of alcoholic drinks, inebriated behavior is considered a despicable state by the cosmopolitan Tico to the point that no alcohol is sold on Easter or election days.