COSTA RICAN OXCART
Costa Rican oxcarts are an important part of Costa Rica’s history. They enabled the expansion and increase of exports of various products, including Costa Rica’s main export—coffee. They also remain a fundamental part of Costa Rican culture today. The painting and decoration of oxcarts began in the early 20th century when each region in Costa Rica started creating its own designs for identification during transport.
Later, the cowboys began hand-painting their own oxcarts in addition to the identification designs.
Many of these paintings included bright colors, geometric shapes, and even portraits of people and beautiful landscapes. In 1903, people started enhancing their oxcarts by adding designs to their wheels. By 1915, the wheels were fully painted and decorated to create a distinctive look for each family.
Often, these designs showed the social status of the families. Although many oxcarts are similar, no two are painted exactly the same. The art of painting these oxcarts has been passed down from generation to generation.
On March 22, 1988, "La Carreta" was designated as the National Work Symbol of Costa Rica. Furthermore, on November 24, 2005, the traditional oxcart was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
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Take a look at our photo gallery from our visit to the Eloy Alfaro Oxcart Factory in Sarchí, founded in 1903.
THE PURA VIDA LIFESTYLE
Pura Vida, a characteristic Costa Rican phrase, literally means pure life, with connotations that suggest translations such as "full of life", "this is living!", "going great", or "real living".
The phrase can be used both as a greeting or a farewell, as an answer expressing that things are going well, as a way of giving thanks or showing appreciation.
In modern-day usage, the saying goes beyond its simple translation: it's a way of life. It is a perspective to life that evokes a spirit that is carefree, laid back and optimistic.
