Potrero, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Culture of Costa Rica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Costa Rican culture is influenced by a fusion of indigenous (especially Mesoamerican) and European culture.

In pre-Columbian times, the north of the country was the southernmost point of Maya influence and the central and southern portions of the country had Chibcha influences. When the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the 16th century, most of the settlements and cities were established in the southern-central part of the country that were less densely populated than the north, and where the European descendants became predominant. In what is today the province of Guanacaste the Spaniards stablished an indigenous corregimiento and the development of cattle production draw also a considerable amount of African forced labor to the region. Although the actual population of Costa Rica is generally of mixed "mestizo" origins, the different makeups of these two regions is still evident. The northern plains (Guatuso) and the southern mountains (Talamanca) were relatively untouched during colonial times and the largest remaining indigenous populations are still located in those areas.

In the 19th century, the caribbean region of Costa Rica received a considerable number of immigrants that came first as workers during the construction of the railroads to the eastern coast and later settled in the area. Most of them were blacks that came from the English-speaking caribbean, who gave a distinctive cultural and ethnic identity to the region. There was also an important number of Chinese immigrants, who came first to the port-towns of Limon and Puntarenas and later spread in small numbers to most cities in the country. Small numbers of immigrants from other areas, mainly Europe (Spain, Italy, Germany) and Lebanon, arrived during the early 20th century causing a small but significant impact, mainly on the country's political and economic elite. All of these influences have developed the extremely varied ethnicity of the country.

LANGUAGE

Costa Ricans speak standard Spanish and Central American Spanish, but they, like most other Central American countries over the years, have developed distinct patterns in their language.

Costa Ricans usually utilize the respectful "Usted" form when addressing one another, this is somewhat formal and surprises some Spanish-speaking foreigners when they arrive. Also, when they do use the familiar form, they often use the less polite vos rather than tú, which is used in most other Latin American countries.

TICOS AND TICAS

Costa Ricans have long called themselves Ticos, in reference to the use of diminutives particular to Costa Rican speech.

In Spanish it's common to create diminutives by suffixing the -ito/ita morpheme [gender varies with: "o" or "a"]. This helps soften speech and appear more approachable when interacting with others. Thus momento (a moment) becomes momentito (a brief moment). In Costa Rica, as in some other regions, when a noun ends in -o or -a, the -ito/ita morpheme is frequently, but not always, replaced with -ico/ica; for example, momentico.

RELIGION

Catholicism is recognized as the official religion in Costa Rica and even though many Costa Ricans claim they are Catholic, devotion varies among the population.

A common practice among Latin American countries is the presence of a "Patrona". This represents a variation of the Virgin Mary and is unique for most countries. The "patrona" of Costa Rica is the "Virgen de los Angeles" also known as "La Negrita" (Little Black one). The Virgin is one of the most important Catholic symbols because it is country specific and allows common people to identify with religion and feel a sense of direct contact with a saint to whom they can pray.

There are several religious festivals in the country but the most important is the tradition known as La Romería in which people from all over the country walk every August 2 from their home to a cathedral dedicated to the Virgin in the city of Cartago. When they arrive, followers visit a dark colored stone image of the Virgin Mary that appeared in the 16th Century to an Indian native on a hill located in Cartago, the same place where the Cathedral was built.

Other religions in Costa Rica include Jehovah's Witness, Judaism, Islam, Hare Krishna and other smaller groups that practice traditions of their ancestry. Protestant forms of Christianity are common in Costa Rica, and make up 14% of Costa Rica's Christian population. The main religion in Costa Rica is Roman Catholicism.

EDUCATION

Education is highly regarded in Costa Rica by most of the population. 6% of the country's resources are dedicated to education and it has been proved to have positive results as > 95% of the population is literate.

Primary (1st-6th grade) and secondary (7th-11th or 12th) are free and mandatory for all citizens. However, primary and secondary public education is widely considered to lack the quality and resources seen in private elementary schools, therefore most of the middle-higher class population opt to send their children to private institutions.

At the university level, the country has four major public universities: The University of Costa Rica (UCR), the Instituto Technologico (ITCR), The Universidad Nacional (UNA) and the Universidad de Educacion a Distancia (UNED), this last institution is a correspondence institution. Most of the national universities have institutional autonomy and considerable budgets that have allowed them to become some of the major universities in Central America.

Due to the four main universities not being able to keep up with the demand of the growing population, a great variety of private institutions began to appear in the country.

MUSIC

Most the music and representative folklore comes from the north of the country (the part that once had Mayan influence), including the Nicoya Peninsula, and the Atlantic coast (Afro-Caribbean culture). Costa Rican music a rhythm known as tambito as well a distinctive musical genre known as punto. Two examples are the punto guanacasteco, which hails from Guanacaste Province, and the sancarleño, from San Carlos in Alajuela Province.

Nowadays, funk music is very popular. The Costa Rican funk movement started around the 70's - 80's and bands today enjoy some popularity, especially among young people. Bands such as Gandhi and Evolucion (among others) are quite popular. This movement started in the early 80's with the pioneer work of the band Café con Leche and José Capmany.

CUISINE

Costa Rican cuisine does not have distinct or original styles to call its own. It is a combination of Spanish, Mexican, American, Caribbean and Southern American influences. This style of cuisine is shared by most of Central America, although local variations have appeared in each of the country.

The closest thing to a national dish is Gallo Pinto ("spotted rooster", although the name has no relation to the ingredients). It is mainly a combination of black beans and white rice (usually from the day before), and it is spiced with cilantro, onions, garlic, salt and a local condiment called Salsa Lizano. It is typically eaten at breakfast with eggs, meat, and/or natilla (sour cream). Fried plantains and either corn tortillas or bread, are also common. Gallo pinto is a common and typical dish in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua, being widely consumed in both countries the origin of the dish has been debated for many years.

Another typical dish is "Arroz con pollo" ("rice with chicken"). This dish basically consists of bite size chicken chunks mixed with rice and diced vegetables that include carrots, peas, corn and garbanzo beans (chickpeas).

"Olla de Carne" is another typical dish which is mainly prepared on weekends. It is basically a broth soup prepared by boiling water, meat and whole-to large sized vegetable pieces, with spices. Eating the soup usually requires a bowl with the broth, and separate plates for the vegetables and rice. Because preparation of the vegetables is tiresome and the size of the plate obligates using a large pot, it is prepared for family meetings and was usually prepared on Sundays after church.

"Casados" are also a typical dish. A casado is basically a one-plate meal, that at least includes black beans, rice, a meat and one or more side dishes. The meat can vary from chicken or beef, fish, tongue, liver, or hamburger patties. The side dishes can range from pasta salads, vegetable salads, fried eggs, potatoes, spaghetti, or "barbudos" (green beans wrapped in egg batter). Finally most casados include fried plantains.

A very common practice when sitting down to eat is to drink a fruit drink of some kind. These are called ("refrescos", "frescos", "naturales", or "batidos"). They are made with either water or milk and come in an endless variety: canteloupe, strawberry, tamarind, mango, papaya, lemon, blackberry (mora), guanabana, fruit punch, horchata, and a local favorite, cas.

Finally, there are some important regional differences. The Caribbean side of the country, because of its roots, enjoys Gallo pinto but adding Coconut oil. This is called "Rice an' Beans". This region also has "Pati", "Plantain tarts", "Rondon" and "Pan bon". The north-western part of the country, has a strong tendency towards corn products and is famous for large, cheese filled tortillas, corn snacks and other dishes.

COSTA RICANS' VIEW OF FOREIGNERS

A person from the United States, is normally referred to as a Gringo. For Costa Ricans, the word "Gringo" is slang for a United States citizen as "Tico" is slang for a Costa Rican. This term is widespread as Americans constitute a significant percentage of tourists in Costa Rica. Tourists are almost always well-liked and treated hospitably. For the most part the souring of the American image abroad has not been reflected in Costa Rican attitudes towards American individuals. George Bush is unpopular for the crisis in Iraq, but Costa Ricans are cautious to dispute both because of the Costa Rican government's unpopular support of the Iraq war, and because of the "Pura Vida" mentality of getting along.

Aside from the Iraq War, other US actions have played parts in souring Costa Rican outlooks on the US government. The CAFTA (or TLC for it's spanish abreviature), is an impending and unpopular American policy of trading with only countries lacking monopolies in what Americans consider to be public-access private sectors (electricity, for example), which threatens the government-owned monopolies AyA and ICE (water and electric services, respectively). A large portion of the country's infrastructure is derived from the revenues from these companies. Nevertheless, the majority of Costa Ricans consider the United States a friend and an ally and recognize the value of American contributions to Costa Rica on an individual and federal level.

Canadians and Europeans are becoming more common in the country and are sometimes but not often regarded as separate than Americans. However, most westerners are largely treated as equals.

Nicaraguans, making up between 10 to 15 percent of Costa Rica's 4.43 million inhabitants, face more discrimination than most other groups, largely belonging to the lower class and sometimes living in the country illegally. Stereotypes of Nicaraguans are pervasive. Some Costa Ricans fear Nicaraguans and attribute unexplainable phenomena, unsolved crimes and general maladies to Nicaraguans. Part of the distrust of Nicaraguans is due to the illusion that they commit more crimes and that they can be attributed them responsibility for rising crime rates. However, most Costa Ricans are strongly integrated with Nicaraguan individuals and communities, and their language and ethnic differences are negligible, ergo few harbor any serious ill will towards them. Many Nicaraguans enter the country seasonally for coffee harvests, or work year round as maids, farmers, mechanics and other low-income jobs. Afro Costa Ricans are similarly frowned upon by select individuals.

Colombian refugees are also coming to the country, and are regarded better than the Nicaraguans, but are also discriminated to low-income jobs.

PURA VIDA

Pura Vida, literally translated means "Pure Life" but means contextually something approximate to "Full of Life" "Purified life", "This is living!", "Going great", or "Cool!" It can be used as a greeting, as a word of farewell, to express satisfaction, and in some instances to politely express indifference when describing something. The phrase has become widely known in the USA and Europe; this highly flexible statement is used by many Costa Ricans (and expatriates) since 1956 [1] Some foreigners view the phrase as an expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of disregard for time and wanton friendliness. However, Costa Ricans use the phrase to express something akin to a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, good spirits, and enjoying life slowly and celebrating good fortune of magnitudes small and large alike.

Arts And Culture

By Christopher P. Baker, excerpted from Moon Handbooks Costa Rica, 5th edition

Historically, Costa Rica has been relatively impoverished in the area of native arts and crafts. The country, with its relatively small and heterogeneous pre-Columbian population (devastated at an early stage), had no unique cultural legacy that could spark a creative synthesis where the modern and the traditional might merge. Social tensions (often catalysts to artistic expression) felt elsewhere in the isthmus were lacking. More recently, creativity has been stifled by the Ticos' desire to praise the conventional lavishly and criticize rarely.

In recent years, however, artists across the spectrum have found a new confidence and are shaking off rigid social norms, exciting for a country long dismissed as a cultural backwater. The performing arts are flourishing, and the National Symphony Orchestra sets a high standard for other musical troupes to follow. Ticos now speak proudly of their "cultural revolution."

The new sophistication in culture is amply demonstrated by the introduction of an International Art Festival in 1992 (see Festivals and Holidays, this chapter), an annual event that has won a place among the arts festivals of the continent. The festival has brought inspiration and new ideas while raising the quality of local groups by allowing them to measure themselves against international talent.

ART

Santa Ana and neighboring Escazú, immediately southwest of San José, have long been magnets for artists. Escazú in particular is home to many contemporary artists: Christina Fournier; the brothers Jorge, Manuel, Javier, and Carlos Mena; and Dinorah Bolandi, who was awarded the nation's top cultural prize. Here, in the late 1920s, Teodorico Quiros and a group of contemporaries provided the nation with its own identifiable art style--the Costa Rican "Landscape" movement--which expressed in stylized forms the flavor and personality of the drowsy little mountain towns with their cobblestone streets and adobe houses backdropped by volcanoes. The artists, who called themselves the Group of New Sensibility, began to portray Costa Rica in fresh, vibrant colors.

Quiros had been influenced by the French impressionists. His painting El Portón Rojo ("The Red Gate") hangs in the Costa Rican Art Museum. In 1994, at age 77, he was awarded the Premio Magón award for lifetime achievement in the "creation and promotion of Costa Rican artistic culture." The group also included Luisa Gonzales de Saenz, whose paintings evoke the style of Magritte; the expressionist Manuel de la Cruz, the "Costa Rican Picasso"; as well as Enrique Echandi, who expressed a Teutonic sensibility following studies in Germany.

One of the finest examples of sculpture from this period, the chiseled stone image of a child suckling his mother's breast, can be seen outside the Maternidad Carit maternity clinic in southern San José. Its creator, Francisco Zuñigo (Costa Rica's most acclaimed sculptor), left for Mexico in a fit of artistic pique in 1936 when the sculpture, titled Maternity, was lampooned by local critics (one said it looked more like a cow than a woman).

By the late 1950s, many local artists looked down on the work of the prior generation as the art of casitas (little houses) and were indulging in more abstract styles. The current batch of young artists have broadened their expressive visions and are now gaining increasing international recognition for their eclectic works.

Isidro Con Wong, from Puntarenas but of Mongolian descent, is known for a style redolent of magic realism and has works in permanent collections in several U.S. and French museums. Once a poor farmer, he started painting with his fingers and achiote, a red paste made from a seed. "Children, drunk bohemians, or the mentally regressed--in other words the innocent chosen by God--are those who understand my works," he says. His paintings sell for about $35,000 each.

In Puerto Limón, Leonel González paints images of the Caribbean port with figures reduced to thick black silhouettes against backgrounds of splendid colors. The most irreverent of contemporary artists is perhaps Roberto Lizano, who collides Delacroix with Picasso and likes to train his eye on the pomposity of ecclesiastics.

Alajuelan artist Gwen Barry is acclaimed for her "Movable Murals"--painted screens populated by characters from Shakespeare and the Renaissance. Rafa Fernández is heavily influenced by his many years in Spain, defined as "magic realism, where the beauty and grandness of women is explored with a sense of intimacy and suggestion." His ladies often appear in quasi-Victorian guise wearing floral hats. And Rolando Castellón, who won acclaim in the U.S. and was a director of the New York Museum of Modern Art before returning to Costa Rica in 1993, translates elements of indigenous life into 3-D art. His studio gallery in Zapote, Moyo Coyatzin, is named for the indigenous deity of creativity. And you can't travel far in Costa Rica these days without seeing examples of the works of another Escazú artist, Katya de Luisa, whose stunning photo collages are complex allegories. Katya initiated "Encounters With Art," a collaborative effort in which artists from different media contribute to a single work. Aldo Canale works with stained glass, producing what Chakris Kussalanant calls "a tendency for the organic-- large glasses full of sensuous lines and earthy colors." And a Cuban aesthetic finds its way into the works of Limonese artist Edgar León, who was influenced by travels in Cuba and Mexico.

The Ministry of Culture sponsors art lessons and exhibits on Sunday in city parks. University art galleries, the Museo de Arte Costarricense, and many smaller galleries scattered throughout San José exhibit works of all kinds.

CRAFTS

The tourist dollar has spawned a renaissance in crafts, and many new forms (several of them experimental) have emerged in the past few years. The revival is most remarkable in the traditional realm. At Guaitil, in Nicoya, not only is the Chorotega tradition of pottery retained, it is booming, so much so that neighboring villages have installed potters' wheels. Santa Ana, in the Highlands, is also famous for its ceramics: large green ware bowls, urns, vases, coffee mugs, and small típico adobe houses fired in brick kilns and clay pits on the patios of some 30 independent family workshops. In Escazú, master craftsman Barry Biesanz skillfully handles razor-sharp knives and chisels to craft subtle, delicate images, bowls as hemispherical as if turned with a lathe, and decorative boxes with tight dovetailed corners from carefully chosen blocks of tropical woods: lignum vitae (ironwood), narareno (purple heart), rosewood, satinwood, and tigerwood.

Many of the best crafts in Costa Rica come from Sarchí. Visitors are welcome to enter the fábricas de carretas and watch the families and master artists at work producing exquisitely contoured bowls, serving dishes, and--most notably--carretas (oxcarts), for which the village is now famous worldwide. Although an occasional full-size oxcart is still made, today most of the carretas made in Sarchí are folding miniature trolleys--like little hot-dog stands--that serve as liquor bars or indoor tables, and half-size carts used as garden ornaments or simply to accent a corner of a home. The carts are painted in dazzling white or burning orange and decorated with geometric mandala designs and floral patterns that have found their way, too, onto wall plaques, kitchen trays, and other craft items. Sarchí and the Moravia suburb of San José are also noted for their leather satchels and purses.

Much of the art that exists has been co-opted by the tourist dollar, so that art and craft shops now overflow with whimsical Woolworth's art: cheap canvas scenes of rural landscapes, rough-hewn macaws gaudily painted, and the inevitable cheap bracelets and earrings sold in market squares the world over.

There's not much in the way of traditional clothing. However, the women of Drake Bay are famous for molas, colorful and decorative hand-sewn appliqué used for blouses, dresses, and wall hangings. Of indigenous art there is also little, though the Borucas carve balsa-wood masks--light, living representations of supernatural beings--and decorated gourds, such as used as a resonator in the quijongo, a bowed-string instrument.