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Oxherds filled to San Jose with color, tradition and people

Accompanied by their oxen and carts, about 300 oxherds from different parts of the country paraded through the main streets of the capital, San Jose and filled with color, tradition and people.

An also very important act was the traditional entrance of the Saints and the Oxen parade. Organized by the Municipality of San Jose and the Oxherds Foundation of Costa Rica.

A diverse sample of representatives of the tradition left from the Metropolitan Park La Sabana, continued throughout the Paseo Colon, through the second Avenue and continued to reach Plaza Viquez.

We saw oxherds of all ages, several women and skilled little oxherds with few years - some of them even guided small carts with wooden oxen’s from different places like Cartago, San Antonio de Escazú, San Isidro de Heredia, Hojancha, Cañas, San Carlos, Puntarenas, Coronado and Guápiles

The image of San Jose led the parade embedded in the wagon of Gerardo Monge, a resident of Llano Grande in Cartago. This year the people of Cartago had the honor of carrying the Saint. Thanks to them they were one of the three dedicated, of eleventh edition of this activity

¨Costa Rica must rescue their traditions, because a country without customs or traditions has no identity," said Monge.
Behind the saint was Juan Luis Mora, a residence of San Carlos, who was another, honored like the Costa Rican Red Cross.

Mora is a man of 74 years who began to "manage" horse since he was 12 years old.
Some arrived on Saturday and camp in the Metropolitan Park, La Sabana while waiting to the party, others like Ignacio Quesada, from Hojancha Guanacaste, left his home at 2:30 in the morning on Sunday to arrive in time to parade.

Very concentrated on his job, was Fabian Calvo, from 7 years old and resident of Cartago, who was infront of the oxen’s and called them Los Chompipes.

Of course, Digna Montes Astúa did not missed the activity, she is known as the "Oxen´s Queen", and participated sitting in a cart of Escazú.
She was responsible for distributing greetings, kisses and candies.

Johnny Araya, mayor of San Jose, said to be surprised of the huge attendance of spectators to this activity. It was true: this parade convened a crowd, in which there were many families with their children’s.