¡Pura Vida!
¡Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas!
This Year’s Christmas Color
Appreciating a Neighbor
My walks to town or “Central Atenas,” as they call it here, always includes passing the house of a family that plants many flowers, including a zinnia garden at least twice a year. As I walk by I often pull out my cell phone and snap a butterfly or flower. To show my appreciation of these who take the time to plant flowers, I made a little 20-page photo book of the butterflies I photographed over the last year in their garden and will take 3 copies to them as a Christmas gift once the books arrive. You can preview every page of the book for free by clicking the front cover image below or go to this address and click the word “Preview” then each page to see the next: https://www.blurb.com/b/11328129-jard-n-de-mariposas
Of course it’s in Spanish. That’s the language of Costa Rica! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Too Much – Too Early!
“Too much, too early” is what I’ve been saying about the commercialization of Christmas since I was in high school I think – A long time! 🙂 And one of the unfortunate things about Costa Rica is the adoption of this Christmas Commercialization starting at Halloween. I have not bothered to photograph the many Christmas trees in the supermarket and smallest little shop to the malls and American chain stores this year, not to mention in the Public Hospital, city halls, etc. It is everywhere here now – too much like the United States which I guess is where some of our businessmen learn their trade! 🙂 We even have “Black Friday” Sales here even though Thursday is not a Thanksgiving Holiday here! Explain that! 🙂
I’m so glad that for my Christmas Week I am looking forward to a week in the forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park. 🙂
The featured photo today is of the welcome sign right here in my neighborhood, Roca Verde, which some will see as wonderful seasonal cheer, and sort of is, while others will see it as cheap commercialization. Lord help Costa Rica not to become too Americanized! But keep the spirit of Jesus in Christmas which I commend the Catholic Church here for celebrating Jesus so well at Christmas (even at home)! While I am closest to God now in nature and will commune with Him in the forest again this year for Christmas. But I will have an American-style Thanksgiving Dinner with like-minded expat friends here this Thursday. So, Happy Holidays! 🙂
Christmas Previous Years – I’m Not a Scrooge! 🙂
DECEMBER 21-27, 2018 – Si Como No Resort, Manuel Antonio (Photo Gallery)
DECEMBER 19, 2018 – Christmas in Costa Rica
DECEMBER 17, 2018 – Christmas Celebrations in Atenas 2018
DECEMBER 2017 – Christmas Week Tambor Bay (Photo Gallery)
DECEMBER 1, 2017 – Christmas Trees in the Mall
DECEMBER 20, 2017 – Small Town Commercial Christmas Decorations
DECEMBER 17, 2017 – Festival de La Luz – Christmas Lights Parade
DECEMBER 23-27, 2016 – Selva Verde Lodge, Sarapiqui (photo gallery)
DECEMBER 26, 2015 – Christmas in San Jose Photos
DECEMBER 24, 2015 – Christmas Eve Anniversary! One Year in Costa Rica!
DECEMBER 14, 2015 – Too Many Christmas Activities! 🙂
NOVEMBER 12, 2015 – Disgustingly Like the States (Christmas before Halloween!)
My Photo CHRISTMAS CARDS from Costa Rica (photo gallery)
And for my favorite TV ad here commercializing family life for Christmas, see this hilarious short video ad:
Or try out 5 Spanish Christmas Songs that Are Not “Feliz Navidad.”
So yeah, Happy Holidays!
But it is still too much, too early! 🙂
“These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and, instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the mountains, lift them to the Almighty Dollar.”
―
¿Pura Vida?
City Hall’s Christmas Decor Features Famous RR Bridge
The new Christmas Tree at Atenas City Hall this year features our famous Railroad Bridge over the Rio Grande River complete with a little model train going over it! Very Christmasy and Very Atenas! Link above is to a Google search of photos of the real bridge, no longer in service.
Bridge is also featured in our Atenas chamber of commerce video:
“Atenas: Best Weather in the World.”
¡Pura Vida!