San José Bans Tradition
o of Confetti Throwing
This year no one will be
able to throw confetti
along the Avenida
Central in downtown San
José, a Christmas
tradition that has had
its ups and downs over
the years.
The Municipalidad de San
José yesterday
prohibited, for health
and safety reasons, the
use of paper confetti in
the tradition called the
"avenizado". The
prohibition came at the
recommendations of the
Ministerio de Salud
(Health officials).
The Municipalidad or "Muni"
as it commonly referred
to considers the
practice dangerous as
many use old and dirty
confetti, picked up from
the dirty street and
sewers, to through at
others.
To ensure that the
prohibition is
respected, the Muni will
add police patrols along
the Avenida and enforce
the sale of the
material, though it
realizes that it will be
next to impossible to
fine everyone who
decides to break the
restriction.
Johnny Araya, mayor of
San José, said that the
restriction also
considered the number of
complaints by merchants
and pedestrians along
the Avenida as it
generates a lot of
trash.
The tradition has been
interrupted for more
than 15 years and
re-established in 2003,
but limited to only a
few blocks between Calle
Central and Calle 7.
Araya added that the
municipality will offer
cultural activities
along the Avenida to
replace the confetti
throwing, though the
activity calendar is
still being worked on.
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