September 15, 1821 marks the day of independence from Spain for this wonderful country in which we live. 192 years tomorrow! It's a special day! Lots of fiestas, lots of traditions and lots of joy. The Costa Ricans are a beautiful, peaceful people and their celebrations contain special dances and remembrances. I don't think it will include fireworks! Symbols are very important in any country. Yesterday the Cincel teachers explained them. It was really fascinating. Their national anthem was written to a melody that already existed, however the president in 1902 asked a teacher to write the words in 3 days! He said that he couldn't do it in 3 days so the president threw him in jail. He did it in 3 days! We learned how to sing it yesterday.
Their flag was first designed by the president's wife! The colors are very familiar, red, white and blue!
The national seal has the sea, the volcanoes, the ship and 7 stars to represent the 7 parishes.
The national tree is the Guanacaste tree. It is so dry in Guanacaste that the cows and the people share the shade!
.
The national animal is the white tailed deer. That too sounds familiar to me from where I come from!
The national flower is the orchid. So very gorgeous.
The national bird is the Thrush. It is not known for its beauty but rather for its song. It sings the loudest of any bird in Costa Rica.
No where in the world is the oxcart painted quite like they do in Costa Rica. I love the carts. They are happy colors, they are pretty and represent the country well.
The dancers are dressed in beautiful dresses, very festive and it seems like everyone has one!
The teachers told me yesterday that I will have one for the next party!
The national dish is Arroz con Pollo. Delicioso! Served with frijoles, cabbage, and chips.
No comments:
Post a Comment