2021 is almost over (Thank God), and we are looking forward to a busy year in 2022. YAY!

There have been lots of tourists arriving, stores and restaurants are open (still at half capacity for now), and the rainy season is over. All around me people are smiling, Christmas music is playing, and friends are gathering.

Christmas is a great time to be in Costa Rica!

Now that I’ve been here a while, I am slowly learning about the unique traditions that the holiday season brings. In fact, this year my lovely neighbours taught me all about tamales!

Every Christmas families get together to make these little bundles of love. It’s a time-consuming process as the corn must be milled and then added to mashed potatoes mixed with broth. This creates a thick paste which is the base of the tamale.

The paste (called masa) is spooned onto banana or plantain leaves (depending on which country you are in) which have been washed and cut into squares about a foot wide.

Then seasoned rice is spooned onto the masa base, followed by a selection of cooked vegetables. In some families, chickpeas are added as well.

Then the meat is piled on top. Every family recipe is different, some use chicken, pork, or beef, or a combination of any of those. The meats must be roasted ahead of time and then shredded into small pieces.

Once all the ingredients have been added, the leaves are folded inwards in both directions, like a little present, and tied tightly with string which is crossed back and forth several times to make sure nothing leaks out.

From here the tamales are exchanged with friends, so you end up with a variety of different tamales to eat. If I understand it correctly, the tamales are boiled in water for several hours and then enjoyed, along with mugs of rich Costa Rican coffee before Christmas Mass.

This tides everyone over until after mass. Christmas Mass takes place before midnight on Christmas Eve, then everyone goes home and the traditional Christmas dinner is eaten. Christmas day here is actually a day of rest since they were all up the night before eating and talking.

I was honored to be included in the tamale making, and while I didn’t get to watch the preparations, I did get to stuff and tie my own tamales! I also got to sit and enjoy my coffee and tamales (with Linzano sauce) several hours later. I really do have the very best neighbours!

I’m looking forward to 2022 and all that it has to offer. And we at Joy Ride Sailing, look forward to welcoming lots of tour guests now that things are settling into the ‘new normal’ and people are returning in droves.

I hope to see you here and to be able to show you the beauty of the Pacific Coast from the deck of the Reliant.

Pura Vida!