Costa Rican social behavior is a curious mixture of old-world, Spanish formality and a special Tico-style of relaxed interactions. You always shake hands politely when being introduced or when meeting an acquaintance on the street, women as well as men. the hand is not fully press but rather lithight toch of both edges of the hand , curving the middle part of the palm. Women also may greet other women friends with a kiss on the cheek; with close friends a man may receive a light kiss, but only if they know each other well. The exaggerated hugging and kissing which is often common in the U.S. is not approved here. Men, when greeting truly close friends, will often give an abrazo a quick hug and pat on the back or perhaps lightly clasp the friend's wrist or forearm instead of shaking hands.
"Getting down to business," as we North Americans are apt to do, without any preliminary greeting and small talk is considered somewhat rude in Costa Rica, yet not as rude as in some other Latin American societies. Costa Ricans know how we North Americans are, so they never make a big deal out of it; they realize that "business" is the custom in our countries. To be polite, you might spend a few moments inquiring about someone's children, or spouse, or perhaps give a compliment about their clothing or anything else you might think to say before talking business. It gets things off to a smoother start.
Costa Ricans have a delightful habit of issuing off-the-cuff invitations to visit them at their homes, for dinner or for cocktails, but you should always wait for the invitation and not just drop in. An exception to this is when someone moves into the neighborhood, or when you move into a new home. Then it's considered polite to knock on the door and introduce yourselves. When invited to someone's house for the first time, it's customary to bring flowers or some small gift.

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