Fourth of July in Costa Rica
Hot dogs? Check. Beer garden? Check. Fireworks? Check.
With 200,000 plus expats, mostly North American, living in Costa Rica, the Fourth of July holiday doesn’t go unnoticed. In its 49th year, a group called the American Colony Committee recreates all of the festivities one might miss back home right here in the capital, albeit a day early on July 3rd.
In Costa Rica’s English newspaper, the Tico Times, delivered every Friday morning, I got the 20 page Fourth of July Picnic Program — dubbed the “Souvenir U.S. Independence Day Edition 2009” — with a few hours to spare before the 8 a.m. kick off. It seems a little early to me, being that the picnic only goes to noon; however, people often like to get an early start in Costa Rica. (I didn’t make it.)
The program’s first page has a happy fourth from Costa Rica’s president, Oscar Arias. This year, Arias says: “As you look back on this most recent year in the life of your county, you have a great deal to celebrate, including the renewal that is the hallmark of a great democracy…And on Jan. 20, the world celebrated with you once more as you marked a historic moment…this year, your country has received the best birthday gift any nation can hope for: proof of a democracy that is strong, vibrant, dynamic, and always committed to the noble principles that first brought it to life.”
Nice words from our ally. Despite the tough times, we do have a few things to celebrate. Happy Fourth of July U.S.A.!
