Panamanians are a people and culture who take their holidays and festivals seriously. Streets shut down, businesses close, and people come out in colors and costumes. If you plan to visit during a larger festival or holiday, expect crowds and try to
Panamanians are a people and culture who take their holidays and festivals seriously. Streets shut down, businesses close, and people come out in colors and costumes. If you plan to visit during a larger festival or holiday, expect crowds and try to reserve hotels well in advance. Have your camera ready too, as there will undoubtedly be some good photo opportunities.
The religion of Panama is predominantly Roman Catholic, so it is not uncommon for many of the country's holidays and festivals to have ties to the church. Panama’s most sizable festival is Carnaval. During the four days preceding Ash Wednesday (which falls in February or March), towns throughout Panama revel in dancing, music, food, and drink. It’s one of the largest—and rowdiest —festivals in Latin America.
Panama’s most massive Carnaval celebration is in the small town of Las Tablas (pop. 8,000) on the Azuero Peninsula. The celebration here involves parades, floats, music, dancing, and serious partying. The Las Tablas festival begins with the coronation of the town’s two Carnaval Queens, one from Calle Arriba (high street) and one from Calle Abajo (low street). The town splits along these lines and forms courts, or tunas, for their respective queen. Throughout the course of the festival, each court tries to outdo the other in song, dance, and costume. As the queens are paraded around the city on floats, their respective tunas follow and compose songs, called tonadas, which praise their queen and mock their rival. The songs are fun and in good humor. The party climaxes on Tuesday night, just before Ash Wednesday.
Corpus Christi is a catholic holiday that commemorates the Eucharist. Its roots date back 1251, when Pope Urban IV sanctioned it. These days, Panama’s biggest celebration is in the town of La Villa de Los Santos on the Azuero Peninsula. In La Villa, Corpus Christi lasts nearly two weeks and involves elaborate dances that symbolize the battle between good and evil. Colorful costumes decorate both the devils and the angels, who take turns dancing and acting out their respective roles. Eventually, good prevails over evil and the devils are beaten. The festival takes place in both the streets of La Villa and its c