March 24, 2016 / como / 0 Comments
Since the majority of Costa Ricans are not indigenous to the region, Costa Rica has less cultural flair than other Latin American Countries such as Mexico or Guatemala. Only one percent of the Costa Rican population is considered to be Indian, and there is a small Latin population who identify as Ticos, but a whopping 98 percent of the population is white.
While this has an affect on the Latin feel of Costa Rica, Costa Rica still resembles most other Latin counties as it is conservative, traditional, and predominately Catholic. Gender roles are extremely traditional with men and women respecting their roles within the family. Most Costa Ricans also live at home until they are married and going away to college or to find independence from ones family is rare.
The backbone of Costa Rican culture is the family. Family ties are of the utmost importance and some of the most important Costa Rican traditions revolve around the family: baptisms, engagement parties, weddings, first communions and funerals.
Religion also plays an important role in Costa Rican culture but takes a back burner to family. Many religious celebrations are more about spending time with family and partying than they are about the religious significance of the holiday. Religious parades and processions occur here just as they do in other Latin American countries but lack the colorful flair that is seen elsewhere. This is because the Indian and Latin populations are so small that they dont offer a mix of cultural religious practices.
Costa Rica experiences two major economic shutdowns that revolve around the Easter and Christmas holidays. During this time, Businesses can be closed for up to five days, transportation services cease, and families use this time to spend time together and worship.
Another integral part of Costa Rican tradition is the pilgrimage to Basilica de los Angeles. This pilgrimage takes place each year and is in honor of the Virgin of the Angels.
Even though religion has taken on less significance than it has in the past and families often vacation rather than observe religious customs, families continue to come together often. Large gatherings that include extended family are common and are perhaps the molding ground of Costa Rican culture.
by David Lovendahl, Costa Vista Marketing
November 29, 2015 / como / 0 Comments
A great idea for decorating a family room would be a southwest style. With the multitude of sources available on decor, you will be able to find ways to make your southwest family room a warm and welcoming place. Your family and friends will feel at home and enjoy the comforts of the informal room, decorated with its unusual colors associated with the southwest.
When you consider decorating your family room with a southwestern flair, you may decide to choose a central theme. Incorporating a welcoming theme into your room will make both family and guests feel welcome. Consider decorating in various themes such as Mexican, mission, ranch and lodge for a southwestern flair. One such idea is to use an old Mexico influence complete with the look of a cantina. The first step in creating a southwest room is to paint the walls in brightly colored hues of reds, yellows and oranges.
Make your room come to life by using brightly colored furniture along with neutral colored walls. Slipcovers are an easy and inexpensive way to change the look of your furniture. Bring in an old Mexico feeling to your room by choosing seating that is made of wood and wrought iron. The use of cow hide covered furniture is another excellent but sometimes costly choice. If you need extra seating for guests, they will enjoy using large stuffed throw pillows on the floor for relaxing comfort. Add rustic accessories such as baskets and painted pottery for a southwest touch.
In your room, try and incorporate a cantina style bar for a real southwest old Mexico feeling. Stools covered in a spotted cow hide leather give the look of a Mexican cantina and provide extra seating for your room. You may even decide to hang special lighting above the bar like punched tin stars so popular south of the border.
If you are looking for a fun and unusual way to decorate your southwest family room, consider creating a ranch feeling by decorating in a rustic, western, lodge style. Dark leather covered furniture would work nicely in the room as well as using Brindle cowhide covered pillows and hides as the central area rug. Create a room that would have made John Wayne proud – the greatest cowboy ever. Your southwest room will need items with texture such as western style throws. It’s the small decorative items you choose that tie the theme together. Simply think ranch when making choices.
Artwork plays a vital part of the southwest theme. Great choices would be pieces of art and paintings that contain cowboys, Indians, horses, ranch scenes, flower dotted mountains and cactus covered prairies. Favorite colors used to create this look would be blacks and browns with accent colors of rust and turquoise. For a really western touch, add a pair of worn cowboy boots with dried flowers over your mantle. Young buckaroos will love sitting at a special place made just for them by using an old saddle over top of a foot stool. A lasso and cowboy hat make nice wall ornaments. You can be creative in your choices as you transform your family room into the wild, wild west.
As your southwest family room comes to life, you’ll come to love this fun relaxed style you’ve created without guidelines and decorating rules. The key is to cultivate an atmosphere that welcomes and delights the senses. Use your imagination as you create a special place for those you love.