Iconic Cultural Guide
Knowing where we are from allows us to know who we are.
We start from that statement to acknowledge an space for our Hotel Vivo to the encounter with the social, cultural and economic characteristics that helped mold this beautiful country. These experiences transcend our gorgeous landscapes influencing and shaping the character of this wonderful group of people called ticos.
Surrounded by the warmth of an unequal selection, your palate will be delighted while the indigenous culture, Catholicism, the defense of the Nation ideals and the development of coffee as a main export fusions in one story. The one of times in which Costa Rica awakens from a long Colonial sleep to become a new icon to the entire world.
The Paseo Colón (Columbus Drive) area of the late XIX century tiny city of San José gives us the perfect time and place for our cultural historical rescue; this is when the city was part of the countryside and the countryside gave space away to the city; where farmer workers and businessmen lived in front of the same dirt road and life went as slowly as the local trolley, which went all the way down to La Sabana.
The festivities, the economic development, the religious and civil life were four important activities that ruled the life of the Costa Rican citizens of that time; and were the base to shape our tradition as a Nation. We appropriated some of the most representative elements of this time in order to show them to you and shed light on their historical importance.
The origins of the statuette, commonly called the "Girl Removing Chigoes", are lost in the memories of Costa Rican people. It has been a very common icon in our popular culture; so commonly seen that no one really notices it as something special.
It originally came from Spain. Its predecessor is, without any doubt, a Greek sculpture of the Hellenistic period called "Boy Extracting Thorn".
he figure, as we know it, comes the gypsy culture in the southern region of Spain, in the mid XVIII century, It was considered a deity, and was one of many amulets used as gifts to flatter the local inhabitants who welcomed, or at least treated the gypsy caravans in a decent manner. It comprised other symbolisms related to good luck, such as horseshoes and four leafed clovers, which had been added or removed from her image as time progressed. The statuette first arrived in Costa Rica in the late XVIII century with immigrants and merchants coming from Spain.
Although the Spanish figure resembles a young girl removing a thorn from her foot, Costa Ricans soon associated her with one of the most typical plagues among the poor rural people, who did not wear shoes. Chigoes are very tiny insects, a tropical flea (Tunga penetrans), of which the fertile female causes great discomfort by nesting under the skin of animals or people, generally in the sole of the foot. This is why Costa Ricans came to believe that the girl was removing chigoes instead of a thorn, and therefore explaining the alteration of the name to the "Girl Removing Chigoes".
Even though this lucky charm was not approved by the Catholic Church, the "Girl Removing Chigoes" had a place in practically every Costa Rican home, without social distinctions; a place as special as the one given to the images of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus" and "Saint Martin de Porres".
It was considered an amulet, but it did not require of any special rite. Although, the local tradition indicates that the "Girl Removing Chigoes" will bring good luck only if it is received as a loving present from someone who does not live in the house, and it must be placed facing the sunset.
- "Beneath the limpid clear blue of your sky"
This line appears in the first and last verses of the National Anthem of Costa Rica.
The lyrics of the anthem "Noble homeland, your beautiful flag", were written by José María Zeledón, and its music was composed by Manuel María Gutiérrez. It has been used in all the official activities of the government since 1852. However, it was officially declared as the National Anthem on 1949, a year after the Civil War.
The words refer not only to the beauty of the sky, but they also raise the idea of a protecting one, which guards our ideals of peace and work. These principles are the unwavering guide for those who want to live in harmony "beneath the limpid blue of your sky".
Noble homeland, your beautiful flag
gives us the expression of our life.
Beneath the limpid clear blue of your sky
peace rests white and pure.
In the tenacious fight of fruitful labor
the face of men red with hard work
your simple farm workers sons conquered
eternal prestige, esteem and honor
eternal prestige, esteem and honor
Hail oh gentile country
Hail oh mother of love
If someone seeks to stain your glory
you will see your people, brave and virile,
turn the rough tool into a weapon.
Hail oh homeland, your fertile soil
gives us sweet shelter and refuge.
Beneath the limpid clear blue of your sky
may your people work and live in peace forever!
- The Magnificent Frigatebird
In Costa Rica, we call it the "scissor tailed bird" (Magnificent frigatebird, Fragata Magnificens). It owes the name to the shape of its tail during flight; specially when they glide on the warm air currents of the Gulf of Nicoya. They open their long forked tail in a V shape like scissors.
The frigatebirds and the pelicans, are inseparable friends of the small fishing boats that navigate the gulf. They flutter around the masts or silently follow the wake behind the fishing nets, waiting to grab some fish before it is hauled on board. It is easy to spot them against the blue sky, generally at great heights and in large flocks of up to 50 birds, coming from the islands where they have their nests.
Even though many people associate them with the ocean, they seldom go into the water. They have great skill to catch fish on the surface, without getting wet. Their beautiful black feathers matched by the female's white belly, and almost two meter wingspan, makes them irresistible to the cameras of the tourists that spend their vacations on the Gulf of Nicoya every year.
After the Spanish Conquest, Catholicism was imposed on the natives throughout the Americas. Costa Rica was no exception, offering less resistance to the clergy during the conversion process than any other territory. This practice quickly spread, supported on the Spanish military but also on the visual power inspired by the religious imageries brought from Europe by the Catholic Church. They were very dramatic figures, the Passion of Christ being the one that created the greatest impact.
During the Renaissance, the Church's power had been diminished in Europe. America was a fertile land to consolidate what was being lost in the Old World. Religious celebrations of the New World then became, not only religious celebrations but, also a media in which the life and passion of Christ was taught repeatedly.
Holy Week Processions in Costa Rica have experienced almost no variation for centuries. Since it represents the peak of the life of Christ, its celebration is covered with maximum solemnity. The Easter processions of XIX Century and first half of XX Century were very strict ceremonies. The citizens dressed their best, according to their means, and the parish contributed so that the images, costumes and decorations were also at their best.
It was a true honor to be chosen to portray one the main characters, and the performance was loaded with a genuine mixture of pride, devotion and penance, which sometimes became so excessive that the participants caused themselves physical damage.
A procession is an organized entourage which follows a route. What distinguishes each year's procession, in more modern times, is the depth of the faith towards their beliefs. Although the tradition has not weakened, its solemnity has been gradually replaced, through the years, with informality. However, in Costa Rica the faithful Catholics rededicate themselves, year after year, during each Lent, which occurs concurrent to holy week (Lent is a of forty days preparation that begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on Holy Saturday, representing the time that Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry).
There comes the Devil! There comes the Devil!
With these words, children and adults alike ran down the street, while a devil-headed doll ran behind them with a chilillo (whip) in his hand.
Patron and town festivities in Costa Rica had been started with a popular carnival, originated in the European medieval festivities but mixed with local indigenous expressions.
Its Central Valley origin is traced back to the colony, when the cofradías (religious congregations) organized festivities in honor of the patron saint. Specifically in La Puebla, Cartago, "a town of Indians, brown, black and mulattoes" where the "mantudo" tradition started. During the Augustine festivities honoring the Virgin, where a masked man wrapped himself in a blanket. Nowadays, it has been substituted by colorful materials of different qualities.
The Giant, the Giant Lady, the Witch, the Skull, the Furry one, the Devil, the Police, among others, are the characters the accompany one of the most representative and rooted Costa Rican popular expressions.
It is common that the traditional characters are joined by popular or unpopular characters of the moment: political figures, sport people, artists or stars from T.V., from Disney characters to trendy super-heroes, alternating with the ones coming from the Costa Rican traditional imaginary like the Cegua (horse-faced lady), the Cadejos and the Llorona (the weeping lady), among others.
The Masquerade, or "payasos" (clowns) as it is commonly known, consists in a group of people dressed up in theses characters, who dance to the rhythm of a Cimarrona (local band of 4 or 5 amateur musicians) while they cross the town armed with whips and cow bladders fustigating the participants of the festivity.
Nowadays the confection of the masks are mainly centered in the towns of Desamparados, Aserrí, Tres Ríos and Escazú in San José and Barva, San Lorenzo de San Joaquín in Heredia; where entire families have dedicated themselves to this craft for generations.
Since 1997, October 31st has been declared the National Day of the Costa Rican Masquerade.
The Lady Giant is the most popular character of all folklore festivities in Costa Rica. She is no one, but everyone knows who she is ...as if she were a riddle, every person in each town gives her a different personality.
The Lady Giant owes her name to her height, since she is, by far, the tallest character of the masquerade. Previously in the XIX century, all the performers used to wear high walking stilts during the "Pasa Calle", (street parade). However as the number of injuries was considerable, the use of stilts was discontinued. New devices were built to support the oversized costumes on the shoulders of the participants.
During the middle of the XX century, someone created such a tall woman, that it earned the name of The Lady Giant, and soon it was reproduced by other mask crafters all over the country. She has a funny figure that dances in a very particular way. As she is so tall, her arms oscillate like uncontrolled pendulums while she dances to the rhythm of the Cimarrona (Cimarrona is any local band, made up of 4 or 5 self taught musicians, playing traditional Costa Rican music).
We are happy to have the Lady Giant be your hostess at our restaurant Iconos. She represents not only the best of our folklore traditions, but the giant affection with which Costa Ricans welcome our visitors.
- Themes: Economics (1890-1930)
San Jose: "a miniature Metropolis"
These were the words of a U.S. traveler on the early XX century. Our capital shined with its institutions: the Archive, the Library, the Museum... the Theater, schools, parks, lanes and statues, stores and bookshops, the bohemian life, the growing press and the diverse and active cultural work... (1)
This San Jose of the 1900 first decade was a product of the economic development boosted by coffee; which brought big changes in Costa Rican society; deep transformations with positive and negative consequences.
Our society then shuddered between the economic boom lived by the coffee producing and trading families and the labor class, the craftsmen and the growing number of intellectuals who contributed in the forming of Costa Rican idiosyncrasy in the XX century.
Those were the times in which this small country built a train that connected two oceans, leaving behind the long caravans of oxcarts full with export product, built its National Theater, where big artists of the stature of Ana Pavlova performed. San Jose was one of the first capitals to have public electricity in the world and also the place where important characters, that would make history in and out of its borders, were getting born.
Those were the times of development for the little Costa Rica.
- Imagery, a matter of faith.
Going back in the young history of the country, Costa Ricans have always had a close relation with imagery, being it religious, mythic or pagan. During the first years of the Republic, the Catholic Church was almost omnipresent in every center of town. The devotion to several characters of the Catholic faith became very popular in the country. The Holy Week Processions are still the biggest expression of this phenomenon.
The worship to the most representative icons of the church lead to the blossoming of diverse manifestations surrounding these figures. The most extended one is towards the Virgin, specially to "La Negrita" (The Little Black Lady). Other characters of Catholicism are part of different rites; some of them to exchange the expressed adoration for favors of any kind: health, love, money, protection are just some examples. There are cases in which no interest is involved, making the worship to imagery, and what it represents, a wide spectrum of alternatives.
Towards the end of the XIX and beginnings of the XX centuries, Costa Ricans had completely absorbed this behavior, broadening the range of possibilities to new options and adding lucky charms from other cultures. The statuettes of "the girl removing chigoes", the seven marble elephants and even images of Buda became more and more frequent in many catholic homes. Most of these images have been associated with good luck; and the Catholic Church has not generated controversy about it, easing its proliferation and coexistence with the catholic images.
History seems to tell us that every country should have a hero and a saint, even if not recognized by the Catholic Church. Costa Rica waited until the 1930s to pay devotion to Dr. Moreno Cañas, starting one of the most peculiar and picturesque social manifestations of our country. One leaves a glass of water so the spirit of the physician put its miraculous medicine in it; showing how faith can be expressed in many ways, no matter how strange or common they may seem.
