Imagine if your country had one phrase that could be used for nearly every friendly moment. In Costa Rica, that phrase is pura vida. Someone might say it when they pass you in the street, when they finish a phone call, or when you ask how their day is going.
If a Costa Rican friend asks '驴C贸mo est谩s?' (how are you?), you can answer '隆Pura vida!' and they will smile. You have just said 'life is pure - I'm great, thanks!'
People in Costa Rica often call themselves Ticos (the boys) and Ticas (the girls), and the pura vida idea is part of being Tico. It means staying calm, being friendly, not getting too worked up about small problems, and noticing the good things every day.
The phrase only became popular about 70 years ago, after a Mexican film called Pura Vida came to Costa Rica. People liked the words so much they started using them all the time. Now visitors from all over the world take the phrase home with them.