Expat retirees should know about Costa Rica’s new national symbols

A couple of months ago I wrote an article about Costa Rica’s national symbols: The coat of arms, the nation’s famous three-colored flag, the Guaria Morada (flower), the Guanacaste tree, the Yigüirro (a type of bird), the national anthem, the oaxcart, the whitetail deer,  the torch for independence, the Crestones rocky outcrop, the Sea Cow Manatee), Pre-Colombian spheres and San José’s National Theater.

Many foreigners who move here know little about Costa Rica’s history or national symbols. At the link below I have listed descriptions country’s national symbols and the dates that they were officially proclaimed as part of the country’s heritage.

This year a couple of new symbols have been added to the list. On January 30, 2020 the famous “chorreador” became another national symbol. A chorreador is a coffee making device in which hot water leaches through coffee grounds held in a cloth filter mounted on a wooden stand, and then drips into a container.

On July 28, 2020 President Carlos Alvarado signed a law making “Coffee” or yodo (iodine in Costa Rican slang because of its color) the newest national symbol. Coffee was first exported to London, England in 1845. Since then it has been one of the country’s main sources of income. In fact, due to its value, it is sometimes referred to as “El Grano de Oro” or “Golden Grain.” In the late 1800s revenue from a tax on coffee, made possible the construction of the country’s stunning  National Theater.