The term has been part of the Costa Rican dialect for over 50 years. The literal translation for Pura Vida, pronounced POO-rah VEE-dah, is very simple, it’s “Pure Life”. However, these two words have a much deeper meaning and significance to the Costa Rican people, or Ticos as native Costa Ricans are called.
The term is believed to have come from a Mexican film called Pura Vida, a movie released in 1956. In the movie, the expression “Pura Vida” was used extensively by the main character as he tried to remain positive, despite his many unfortunate experiences. Since then, the phrase has been adopted by the Costa Rican people and has come to mean a multitude of things including hello and goodbye, thank you, don’t stress and everything is good.
Similar to “Hakuna Matata”, a Swahili term popularized by the Disney movie ” The Lion King”, the phrase reminds us to be happy and love life.
Pura Vida personifies a way of life in beautiful Costa Rica, and the best way to really understand it is to visit and experience it for yourself!
Related Post: Get Back to Nature with Yoga in Costa Rica
