Unique Christmas Experience in Costa Rica

Nov. 13, 2008 - PRLog -- Christmas is known as “Navidad” in Costa Rica and Ticos have a unique way of celebrating Christmas.
Ticos celebrate Christmas by decorating a cypress, with a gold star on top, bright lights and ornaments.  They get together to celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus and New Year. Their traditions are based on religious beliefs and similar to Latin American countries but still they like to do things their way, that is, the Tico way.  
Ticos organize a late night Christmas Eve dinner with a pork leg and tamales.  They have Eggnog with rum, and with this they visit friends and family to give presents before midnight.  At midnight, mass or “Misa del Gallo” is attended as part of Christmas celebration which is a two hour mass.
If you are a tourist wanting to visit Costa Rica, you would do good to go there in the month of December to feel the festive spirit of the Tico Christmas and be a part of the fiestas.

Ed Mercer, a Canadian native who came to Costa Rica with his wife to see the Iron Man competition years ago, also swears by the Costa Rican traditions. Ed is today one of the biggest real estate developers of the country, buying, developing and selling gorgeous custom made homes and properties. Ed loves the Costa Rican way of life. Ed was so enamored by the beauty of this breathtaking island that he decided to settle down here for good with his wife. Already a millionaire by the young age of 27, Ed did not forget his humble beginnings. He is an environmentalist and above all, a humanitarian at heart. Ed is dedicated towards conserving and preserving the biodiversity and ecology of this country. He has made efforts to save the endangered species like the scarlet macaws, the white faced monkeys and sea turtles from going extinct. Ed also made reforestation efforts. Ed also donates a part of his proceeds towards making this country a better place to live in both for the present and the future generations. For his unrelenting efforts, Ed is not only called Mr. Costa Rica, but he was also inducted into the Environmental Hall of Fame in June in 2008. Ed has also setup his foundation, called The Edward R. Mercer Foundation, which he considers his greatest achievement to date. In short, Ed loves this tropical paradise and is keen to preserve its natural beauty, reserves and resources and has been pretty successful in doing that so far.

Tourists like Ed who loves Costa Rica as much as he should not miss the festive occasion of Christmas which comes in the month of December. Ed's birthday is in the month of December and together with over 800 children he celebrates the Christmas season (playing Santa is his favorite time).
December is the festive month for the Costa Ricans as it is Christmas time and vacation time too. It is a time for relaxation and holiday from work and school. During their holidays they like to eat traditional foods, meet friends and family and enjoy the fiesta. The month is not only important because of Christmas celebration but, it is also special because the season changes from rainy to dry, and the days are cool and sunny. Ticos feel the Christmas spirit when cool winds come.
Another important tradition they follow during the Christmas is “El Portal”, the portrayal of the manger with Mary, Joseph, animals, the three Magic Kings, and all the shepherds and their sheep are displayed during Christmas to show their love for Jesus.  
Ticos not only enjoy Christmas with intense religious celebrations but they also wait for Christmas as they receive an “aguinaldo”, a Christmas bonus from their employers that is equal to one month’s salary. They spend their bonus at the “chinamos” which are small seasonal street vendors that are there during the holiday season only. In fruits, apples and grapes are a considered a special Christmas treat for Ticos. To sum up, “Navidad” is a very special occasion for both the Ticos and the tourists visiting Costa Rica this time of the year and both can enjoy the fiesta and religious celebrations of Christmas together.

For more information about the great humanitarian Ed Mercer and his noble deeds, visit www.mrcostaricasproperty.com