Why I Created This Blog

¡Hola, Bienvenidos a todos!

I am in my fourth year of school majoring in Education and Spanish. I'm from Minnesota and am about to embark on a life changing experience, immersing myself in the language, culture, and pura vida of Costa Rica!

My ultimate goal of going to Costa Rica is to become fluent in speaking Spanish. But along the way, I am going to be visiting a very close friend from high school, experiencing Costa Rican Independence Day and Christmas, traveling to three countries and living on the beach. Oh, and I am taking classes in a university in the capital city, but it goes without debate, most of my learning will be experienced when I am not in a classroom but around the friendly Ticos (name Costa Rican's call themselves) and being out on adventures.

If you're reading this, I miss you, so do your best to let me know what you're up to! And I'll do my best filling you in on my adventures :)

Monday, January 9, 2012

The Holidays in Costa Rica


Christmas in Turrialba, Costa Rica
2011


 My mom, Berto's mom and dad and I were walking from their house a couple blocks to his aunt's house for their family Christmas. Every year it's at someone else's house. His mom is bringing snacks and his dad is looking like Santa with all the gifts on his back! It was so nice for everyone to be together. I can't remember the last time I was with both of my parents for Christmas! :-) And I didn't have to choose between who to be with. 

 Uno Jenga!! So fun! My dad joined in and played too :)
Miriam is spinning the twister board and Berto is dancing!!
 Some games while we wait for it to be midnight. Here we are playing twister! Or "colocho" which is also the name for curly hair!
We put out mattresses on the floor for more seating during the gift opening and for beds after the gift opening finishes around 4 AM! The entire family has a sleepover and enjoys lunch the next day and watching the bulls on the TV, which are on TV until the new year every year beginning after Christmas. In Costa Rica, they don't kill the bulls, only put a bunch of people in the same space as the bulls while they try to taunt the bull but run away before they get seriously injured. Some are not so lucky and fly through the air from the horns of the angry bull. But many of the participants dress up in a themed costume for the night or red. They know exactly what they are getting into!
We turned on the radio just minutes before it became Dec 24 midnight, and every year the announcer says "FELIZ NAVIDAD, COSTA RICA!" And at that moment, everyone began cheering and jumping up and down and hugging each and every person in the room!
 Amanda is beginning to hand out some of the presents. The younger cousins go up to the pile of gifts and read "De: Rachel, Para: La familia Chacón" for example and everyone cheers. We did this system one present at a time for their gift exchange from midnight until 3:30AM on Dec 24th.
 Amanda hand made this little Santa Jack-in-the-box for my parents. It has a little striped sock below where it says Feliz Navidad! She thought of the idea and crafted it all by herself!
 She wasn't expecting to get anything! 
Berto gave my mom a typical carreta, the transportation used behind ox or bulls. They used to use them all over Costa Rica, now mainly only in the country. But it's something nice for her desk at work and very symbolic of Costa Rica!

 Even little Jorgito got to open some presents! New clothes!!
 Berto is wearing the hat that my mom gave him with the name of her company on it. And around his neck he's wearing the travel pillow that used to be mine but I gave to him especially for his trip and because he would always make fun of me for carrying that pillow with me everywhere. He brought both of them with him on his exchange to the United States!
A beautiful dress that I saw in Arenal that Berto secretly bought for me for Christmas! I put it over my shirt as soon as I opened it, too bad you can't tell how pretty it is! It has purple flowers, my favorite color!



Año Nuevo, New Years in Turrialba, Costa Rica
2012



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1 comment:

  1. Wild ReedJanuary 24, 2012 at 8:31 PM

    What did your parents think of celebrating Christmas this way?

    ReplyDelete

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