User:LucieEv/Pura vida (phrase)
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Pura vida is a phrase used in Costa Rica on various occasions, especially as a response to the greeting "How are you?" ("¿Cómo estás?" -"Pura vida"). It is equivalent to "doing well" ("muy bien"), although it is worth noting that Costa Rican people afford a deep and wide-ranging meaning to the phrase. The simple meaning of "pura vida" is "pure life" or "simple life". This relates to the culture and attitude of local ticos (Costa Ricans). Costa Rican towns and people tend to be more carefree and relaxed than other peoples and countries. They simply don't worry as much as others do, which some attribute to their location in a beautiful, paradise-like country. It is probably the most common set phrase that visitors to the country hear. "Pura vida" is at once a greeting and a goodbye, a response to the question, "¿Cómo estás?" and an exclamation, sometimes shouted aloud during happy occasions. “Pura vida” symbolizes to Costa Ricans the simplicity of the good life, commitment to humility, abundance, exuberance, well-being, joy, peace, satisfaction, conformity, happiness, and optimism associated with the art of appreciating the attractiveness of what is simple and natural, the art of living well.[1]