La cultura de Costa Rica = la cultura más pura. Reading the Culture Smart informational book before arriving to Costa Rica gave me an idea of what to expect once I arrived, but the only way to fully experience a culture is to immerse yourself within it. The presentation of a guest lecture today gave me more information regarding Costa Rican history and culture, which has also caused me to think about why things are the way the are here in Costa Rica. One of the first cultural aspects that I began to ponder was why the tradition of painting oxcart wheels existed. I did some quick research on the topic and I believe that I have found a piece of the answer. According to UNESCO, it was originally common to see oxcart wheels that were painted with a specific design to distinguish that the driver was from a certain region of Costa Rica. However, beginning in the early twentieth century, other designs as well as decorations began to find their way onto the oxcart wheels. Currently there are still contests based on creativity between different artists that follow this tradition. Oxcart owners take pride in their oxcarts, and the oxcart remains a symbol of Costa Rica’s past. I think that this brief history is interesting and relevant to Costa Rica’s culture today as the oxcart has been designated the National Labor Symbol. In addition, it is important to realize that the painting of oxcart wheels also points toward the value that Costa Rican culture places on art, individualization and self-expression. In my opinion, the history and culture of Costa Rica has shaped its traditions, which are visible manifestations of the country’s underlying values.
Furthermore, I have noticed that there are some contradictions between the expressed culture and Ticos’ behavior. For instance, today we learned how to salsa and merengue with a dance instructor and I realized that Ticos not only like to dance but are very quick with their movements while dancing. However, this contradicts with the laid-back lifestyle that Ticos enjoy. Ticos run on Tico time, which is a term coined due to the idea that Ticos tend to show up late to scheduled events. In Costa Rica, the locals are not in a rush, but they are instead very relaxed. Traveling within Heredia, I even saw a sign that mentioned, “La gente no está atropellada,” meaning the people are not hurried. It is ironic that the fast-paced dancing and music do not equal the much slower pace of their casual, easygoing lifestyle. I found myself wondering why that is, so I thought about it and I believe I have come up with a rational response. While they may live in a relaxed culture, Ticos are super high-spirited. They are enthusiastic, animated, cheerful and vibrant in the way that they express themselves. Dance is surely a form of artistic expression, which leads me to the conclusion that Costa Ricans express themselves via dance and music as both are essential aspects of Costa Rican culture. While at first it may seem like a paradox, I have come to realize that it is logical that Ticos express their vivacious yet relaxed attitude through fun, energetic activities like dancing to upbeat music.
Lastly, I have thought of one more “why” question: why is Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) so prevalent in Costa Rican food choices? I did not find the complete answer to this question since there is debate surrounding the exact origin of this traditional dish. However, this debate partially explains why the dish is so prevalent in Costa Rica because the debate as to where the dish originated is between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Both countries declare that Gallo Pinto is their own national dish and they both claim their land as its origin, spurring what has been coined as the Gallo Pinto War. While it is not an actual war, the dispute is quite a large deal to both Ticos and Nicos. To give you some clarity on just how big of a deal it is, the war began in 2003 when Costa Rica made the world record for largest dish of Gallo Pinto. Two weeks later, the Nicos outdid Costa Rica and held the world record title. This back-and-forth battle went on for years, until as recent as 2007, Nicaragua made a meal of Gallo Pinto that was large enough to feed 22,200 people. Nicaragua held the world record for largest dish of Gallo Pinto until Costa Rica decided to completely one-up its rival in 2009 with a whopping 3,300 pounds of rice and 2,640 pounds of beans—enough to feed 50,000 people. While I personally find this debacle quite entertaining and a bit petty in nature, it does reveal the importance of Gallo Pinto to Costa Rican culture.
Overall, Costa Ricans live and breathe their culture, and I respect the value that they place on tradition, custom and history of their past. As the Ticos say: ¡pura vida!
Hasta pronto,
Taylor Siegfried