1. The Culture of

2. Why I chose Costa Rica I thought by researching Costa Rica, I could better understand my mother and learn more about my background

3. Brief Background Costa Ricans, also known as Ticos, are generally regarded as gentle, spirited, friendly, educated, polite people Costa Ricans commonly refer themselves as Ticos, a nickname given by their Spanish-speaking neighbors The males are called Ticos while the females are called Ticas and a mixed group of Costa Ricans is called Ticos The Costa Rican culture is historically “machismo,” or male- dominant. Machismo defines the family and social structures in Costa Rica Fortunately, over the last several decades, Costa Rica has made vast progress towards gender equality. While machismo and gender differences still exist, sexism and gender inequality are no longer as acceptable as they once were

4. Birth and Childhood Costa Ricans consider the birth of a child to be extremely important… due to the fact that Costa Rica is rich in the Roman Catholic heritage, the most prevalent tradition associated with newborns is baptism Costa Rican parents attempt to provide for their children at all costs and as a result, they consistently indulge them The majority of children in Costa Rica begin to attend school at the age of six. Both male and female children receive equal educational opportunities Child labor is a major issue in Costa Rica, particularly in the informal region While other forms of child labor have declined over the past few years, due to strict legislation, the exploitation of minors for commercial purposes has dramatically increased. Sadly, Costa Rica has emerged as a source and transit country for child traffickers

5. Dating and Courtship Dating in the Costa Rican culture use to be very traditional However, the dating styles in Costa Rica are becoming more similar to the American and western European dating styles People in Costa Rica generally begin to date at a very young age, sometimes even as young as 12 years old Popular Costa Rican dating venues consist of disco bars, picnics, movie theaters, December bullfights and yearly carnivals Couples generally date from a few months to a couple of years before they decide to get married. Despite the pervasive Roman Catholic influence, religion does not play a major role in the Costa Rican dating practices

6. Marriage Costa Rica holds one of the highest marriage rates in all of Latin America On average, women marry at the age of 21, while men usually marry at the age of 24 Many Costa Rican couples prefer to ride traditional painted oxcarts with a rosary placed on them to symbolize their love. The two ox pulling the cart together symbolize the idea that it is necessary for the couple to be united at all costs in order for the marriage to succeed

7. Marriage Costa Rica’s Family Code provides men and women equal rights and responsibilities in all areas of marriage Latin American “machismo” categorizes a double standard which men are allowed to work, drink and sleep around while women are expected to do all housework and remain true to their husbands Costa Rican marriages reflect traditionally stereotyped gender roles with the male as the ultimate head of the household and the female deferring to her husbands at all times. Many Costa Rican wives still accept these traditional roles to this day A divorce can be filed by mutual consent or by one of the spouses. Women retain many rights in the event of a divorce, including automatic custody of the children

8. Family and Parenting Due to the high rate of birth control consumption, the size of a typical Costa Rican family has become much smaller Parents expect their children to care for them after they grow old Despite the high marriage rates, Costa Rica is also ranked among the ten top countries with the highest divorce rates

9. Work and Professional Life The age at which a Costa Rican begins employment is dependent upon his or hers socio-economic status The Costa Rican law requires equal treatment of both men and women and equal access to jobs Costa Rica’s machismo culture continues, to deny women fair treatment in the job market On average, Costa Rican women retire at the age of 59, and men retire at the age of 61

10. Women in the Culture Costa Rican women have always participated as workers in the agricultural sector, particularly in banana, cacao and coffee plantations. They also engage in the making and selling of handicrafts for the tourist industry. Over the last few years, Costa Rican women have become increasingly more educated and are now able to work in professional fields on February 7, 2010 Costa Rica nominated their first female president Laura Chinchilla Miranda. Chinchilla was the eighth woman president from Latin America.

11. Laura Chinchilla Miranda

12. Women in the Culture Women in Costa Rica are able to choose their life partners The average age for a woman to get married is 21 and the average age for a man to get married is 24 Workingwomen are still expected to carry out all the duties of a household, including cooking, childcare and other household duties. Costa Rican culture typically looks down upon childless women

13. Religion Roman Catholicism is the official state religion in Costa Rica, which comprises more that 76 percent of the population Religion generally has an impact on everyday life in Costa Rica Freedom of religion is provided for all citizens and the government tires to uphold this right at all levels

14. Sports Costa Ricans have a reputation for being avid sports fans. The country’s most popular traditional sport is bullfighting, a remnant from Spanish colonial rule Soccer is the one sport that Costa Ricans compulsively follow, which is popular with locals of all ages and sexes

15. Bull Fighting

16. Soccer

17. Music and Dance Costa Ricans love to dance The city of San Jose offers a very diverse music scene. As the capital city and trendsetter for Costa Rica’s nightlife, San José attracts a young and fashionable crowd to its many clubs Traditional folk music has its roots in the Guanacaste province. This is an upbeat dance with lots of rhythmical foot stomping and an entertaining rhyming verse In the province of Limon, there is a distinctly different taste to the music. Since the seventeenth century, Limon has populated a large African population and therefore a long tradition of Afro-Caribbean music

18. Punto Guanacasteo

19. Greetings In the Costa Rican culture it is common to say hello and goodbye to friends and acquaintances with a light kiss on the cheek, or an air kiss accompanied by a kissing sound. Women will kiss women and women kiss men, but men do not kiss men. Instead, men either shake hands or give each other a one-armed hug.

20. Timeliness Costa Ricans are famous for observing Tico time, locally know as "la hora tica” Costa Ricans habitually arrive late, often by 30 minutes or more, to dinner, appointments and get-togethers They will never arrive late to the movies or for appointments at the public health clinics

21. Pura Vida Costa Ricans use the term “pura vida” to say hello, to say goodbye, to say everything’s great, to say everything’s cool Pura Vida is the way of life for Costa Ricans. Costa Rica has been named one of the happiest countries in the world, mostly because the residents do not stress about things the way most foreigners do Costa Ricans have a very relaxed, simple way of looking at life

22. Religious Perspective 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”