Costa Rican customs and etiquette

Costa Rica is a republic in Latin America, bordering Nicaragua in the north and Panama in the south. It was declared a permanent neutrality on November 17, 1983. According to the Constitution, Costa Rica has no army, only police and security forces maintain internal security. It is the first country in the world to have no army. Ninety-five percent of the residents are Catholic, and a minority believe in Christianity and Judaism. The official language is Spanish. English has a high penetration rate among high-quality people.

Cateleland is the national flower of Costa Rica. It is a horticultural hybrid and one of the most famous orchids in the world. The pseudo-bulb is club-shaped or cylindrically shaped, with 1 to 3 leaves on the top; the leaves are thick and hard, and the midvein is concave; there is a single or several flowers, planted on the top of the pseudo-bulb. The flowers are large and beautiful, with bright and rich color. Native to tropical America, it is the national flower of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and other countries. There are more than thousands of varieties. The colors are white, yellow, green, red and purple. Reproduction is carried out by rationing, tissue culture or sterile sowing. Sex likes warmth, humidity and plenty of light. Fern roots, moss, bark blocks and other potted plants are usually used. Higher air humidity, appropriate fertilization and ventilation are required during the growth period.

Costa Rica has diverse cultures and is the cultural intersection of Central and South America. When the Spanish conquered the Americas in the 16th century, the northern region of Costa Rica was the southernmost territory of the Mayan civilization, the central and southern regions were the territory of the Chibcha people, and the west coast was inhabited by black slaves trafficked from Africa from the 17th to 18th centuries. At this time, many China farmers came here to build railways.

Costa Rican music includes tambito and punto, which are very unique. For example,"punto guanacateco" comes from the province of Guanacaste, and "punto sancarleno" comes from San Carlos in the province of Alahuila. There are many music and legends coming from northern Costa Rica (once a Mayan sphere of influence) and the Atlantic coast.

Costa Ricans are honest and simple, optimistic, kind, humble, trustworthy, hospitable, and very friendly to foreign guests. Men shake hands when they meet, and women kiss on the cheek or hug if they are friends or relatives. The same goes for farewell. In social occasions, adult men are generally called sir, married women are called madam or wife, unmarried young women are called miss, and unmarried young men are called young masters. Like other American countries, Costa Ricans prefer to call them academic titles or titles, and use them with the above titles, such as "Mr. Doctor","Mr. Master","Mr. Director", etc.

Costa Ricans like to gather and chat with friends. They often invite close friends to their homes to drink coffee, eat fruits and sweets, and chat from the sky. If it is a weekend, when you are interested, you will also sing and dance until dawn the next day. If they interact with foreign friends for the first time, if the guests talk and behave politely, are familiar with local customs and can speak a few words of the local national language, they will regard them as old friends and appear particularly cordial and enthusiastic, and will take the initiative to invite them to their homes. For a kind invitation from Costa Ricans, foreign guests should not decline it out of courtesy or other considerations, as this will cause displeasure to the host.

visiting a friend's home in Costa Rica, you should bring a bouquet of flowers, a box of cakes, a bottle of good wine and other items to the host. Dinner is Costa Rican's dinner, usually after 7 p.m. The daily diet of ordinary families in Colombia mainly includes pork, beef, chicken, fish, corn, beans, rice, plantains, cassava and palm hearts. On weekends, plantains, cassava, potatoes, and cooked pumpkin are usually used to cook broth. The more common fruits include tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pineapples, watermelons and grapes. Traditional drinks are coffee, rum boiled with thick sugar, sugar liquor, etc. Costa Rica is one of the first places in the world to grow corn. Corn dumplings, tortillas, corn balls, corn wine, etc. are indispensable for guests.

Costa Rica's taboos are the same as those in European countries such as Spain and the United States. People generally avoid the two numbers "13" and "5", but prefer "3" and "7" and think these two numbers are auspicious.