Spending the Christmas Holidays in Costa Rica with Your Tica Girlfriend
If you have been dating a beautiful girl from Costa Rica, and you are looking for something absolutely new and fresh to do this coming Christmas season, then here is an idea: book yourself a flight to her home country and spend the holidays with her and her family.
The question you may ask is why would you ever want to not spend your vacation at home and stay cozily in the very middle of your comfort zone? There are a couple of answers to that.
The first few reasons to get away for Christmas are: to avoid all the hassle of office parties, buying dozens of gifts for every other friend and relative of yours, and lastly, to not feel like you’re living in a giant refrigerator for the next few months.
The more important reason, however, is because you love your girlfriend, and getting to know her and her culture more intimately is a sign that you are committed to her. But before you cancel your party at the Joneses, here are a few things that your Tica girlfriend will want you to experience come this December:
Relishing the warm weather at the beach
If you said you were going to the beach for a Christmas weekend, you’d be sent to an institution. But not in Costa Rica. You could be humming carols in your head as you feel the ocean breeze against your face and the grains of sand beneath your feet.
Most people would swap the cold and snow for warm tropical weather, but you actually get to live it. And if you ever run out of ideas for what to give your girl for Christmas, you can always head out to the nearest bikini shop.
A perfect place to reflect on your year
What is the one thing that we do towards the end of our travels? We always think about what she should do or what problems we should solve when we get back. This sense of resolution is further amplified when you are in another country. And while it only takes around a 4 hour trip from Costa Rica to New York, it doesn’t diminish any resolve you may have made.
One of the plans you may make from your enlightenment is to put a ring on that finger. And why not, Ticas aren’t just beautiful, they are passionate lovers and partners. Your New Year’s resolution may just be “where to have the wedding.”
All the festivities
Instead of walking down the street in five layers of clothing, dress down in your chinos and Birkenstocks and attend many of the December-January festivities in Costa Rica. You have local fiestas, colorful parades, and the big horseback parade called the Tope Nacional de Caballos on the 26th of December.
It’s a whole new world from the white Christmas you may be so used to. But if there’s one thing you can’t deny, it’s that it’s going to be a really fun Christmas.
If you are in the San José area, have your girlfriend take you to see the Festival de la Luz, which is where they turn on all the Christmas lights on the second Saturday of December.
Discover the nativity all around Costa Rica
Many countries that celebrate Christmas do it solely for commercial reasons — it’s a huge money-making industry. But chances are your girlfriend, as the majority of Costa Ricans, is a religious Catholic. This means that many of them choose to live the true spirit of Christmas — the birth of Jesus Christ.
For this reason, you may see a lot of religious decor in the houses that you will be visiting. The nativity scene of Jesus in the manger with Mary and Joseph is a staple set found in most Catholic Costa Rican households.
Attending the Missa de Gallo
Like most Catholics around the world, expect to accompany your girlfriend and her family to the Misa de Gallo, or the midnight mass, on the eve of Christmas. Now don’t think of this like any ordinary event. Whatever your views on religion, understand that your girlfriend wouldn’t be bringing you along if she didn’t think highly of you.
So make sure you get enough rest and bring out your Sunday’s best. You’ll be eating pork tamales and drinking rum punch in no time.
Gifts from Niño Dios
While you may have dressed up as Santa once or twice before, the real gift-giver in Costa Rica is Niño Dios (the child Jesus) or Colacho, which is another name for Saint Nicholas. Many children believe that the gifts they receive on Christmas day come from baby Jesus.
So make sure to buy wholesome gifts for your girlfriend’s cute little nieces and nephews.
Spending time with her family
They say Christmas is a time for family. When it comes to Hispanic families, this is non-negotiable. When your Tica girlfriend welcomes you into her home for Christmas, you know what you have is special.
For starters, you’re going to be all over their family Christmas photos. They wouldn’t take the risk of having a future ex-boyfriend plastered all around their holiday memories for years to come.
Secondly, this is your chance to meet your potential in-laws at their most cheerful, welcoming, and happiest.
A fresh and unique holiday vacation
Whether or not you are dating someone from Costa Rica or are hoping to get to know one, it’s always a great idea to spend your Christmas vacation in a different country. Perhaps it isn’t just a learning experience, rather, it’s a way of regaining your zest and belief in the spirit of Christmas.
People have been saying it’s the most wonderful time of the year since forever, but how wonderful has it been for you? So this holiday season, choose to be different. You’ve always been thinking about what gift you should get for everyone else. This time, book yourself a flight to this tropical paradise. It should be the best gift you can give yourself.
If you like this article and would like to travel to meet a beautiful Costa Rican woman, click here to view our CostaRicaWomen.com tour schedules.
