Family as Center of Costa Rican Life: The culture is still generally conservative and retains the "machismo" system. Men and women are expected to act differently from each other, and to respect their roles. While a large proportion of Costa Rican women are professionals and hold important positions in both business and government, most still retain some traditional practices. Also, most Costa Ricans still live at home until they are married, and leaving the household to go to college or to live independently is still very rare.
Family ties are still very strong, and traditions revolve around the family from the moment of birth to that of death. Some immensely important family traditions are baptisms, first communions, engagement parties, weddings and funerals, which are attended by the extended family as well as by friends and their family members.
