17 Feb Gearing up for Carnival in Panama
By Natalie Warner
Can you feel the rhythm of the music yet? Carnival is just around the corner! Get ready for loud music and lots of dancing throughout the country. Many Panamanians look forward to this time of year. What is Carnival? What can you expect? Where can you go to experience Carnival in true fashion? Good questions. You came to the right place.
Carnival (carnavales in Spanish) has religious traditions based off the Catholic observance of Lent. Panama has a strong Catholic presence as it is estimated up to 70 percent of the population is affiliated with the religion.
What is Carnival?
Carnival is celebrated 4 days prior to Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. This time represents the 40 days that Jesus prayed and fasted in the desert before returning to Jerusalem (marking Palm Sunday). He was crucified 5 days later (Good Friday). Easter is celebrated 3 days later, which is the day he rose from the dead. Modern Lent traditions involve giving up vices for 40 days and using this as a time of penance and prayer.
Needless to say, this is a fantastic excuse for gluttony. Carnival can be a fun family-friendly event. It can also be a time for people to party non-stop for 4 days. A lot of people leave Panama City to head toward the interior (Coronado, Penanome, and beyond). In fact, last year the Autoridad del Tránsisto y Transporte Terrestre (ATTT) reported over 100,000 cars leaving Panama City and over 31,000 entering within a 3 day time span. That is a lot of traffic!
The Parades
No Carnival would be complete without the queens and princesses. They are carried by decorative floats by the local town. Costumes worn by the queens and princesses are usually very elaborate.
Dirty Devils, diablico sucios, are common in parades and are a part of Panamanian folklore. Every town has their own version of what they look like. They are believed to ward off evil spirits.
Women, men, and children also wear traditional Panamanian attire and dance along the streets. El Montunos, are the garments worn by men. Polleras are worn by women. Tembleques are the headpieces worn along with the pollera. They are typically made of pearls, crystals, fish scales, and a combination of wire and gold.
Men and women wearing traditional Panamanian attire. Source
Drums are a key element the parades. The sound of tambores, beating drums, will follow you throughout celebration. El Tamborito, The Little Drum, is a traditional folklore song which is often performed by drummers. It is also known as a courting dance.
Dancing, Music, and Water!
…Panamanian culture, and beer. That pretty much sums up Carnival. Much of Carnival takes place with dancing in the streets and getting hosed down with water, by fire hoses attached water tanks (culecos). That’s right. Expect to get wet, if you partake in the festivities. Get on the good side of the people who spray you with water by tossing up a beer or two to them. You’ll be nice and cool the entire time you dance to the loud music.
Fun fact: one statistic indicates the amount of water sprayed on party goers during Carnival in Panama City equals the same amount that the city uses in the previous four months.
Las Tablas has the biggest Carnival in Panama. It is known for its intense rivalry of carnivals between Calle Abajo and Calle Arriba. Which one is best? It is often undecided.
Penonome has their famous river float parade. Queens and princesses are escorted on floating floats. Penonome is known to have a celebration that is a bit tamer compared to other large carnivals.
Panama City, especially around Cinta Costera and Avenida Balboa, have nonstop parties during this time. Their carnival usually has at least 4 different stages for live music, areas for games, and face painting. This, too, is a fairly family-friendly location.
Smaller towns around the beaches area including Nueva Gorgona, Chame, and San Carlos also have their own Carnivals. They are much smaller in comparison but still encompass the loud music, water dousing experience.
Carnival is typically separated into two parts. By day there is the water spraying, floats, and dancing. Nightly festivities are geared more toward food, drinks, and more music.
Survival Tips
Carnival often yields a love/hate relationship for people not used to the festivities. It is an opportunity to relax. Panama’s culture comes out in full swing making it a lot of fun. The other aspect is that it feels like the country does not sleep during this time. Little gets done. Traffic, music, and fireworks seem to go on continuously.
Expect traffic
Lots and lots of traffic. Your 10-minute drive from Nueva Gorgona to Coronado can and probably will take at least 30 minutes, if not longer. Left turns can also become scarce during this time. Prepare to drive close to Punta Chame or out to San Carlos, if you are needing to make a u-turn or left turn.
Get your shopping done early
Grocery store parking lots are horrendous. Checkout lines loop can around isles and take hours.
Stock up on booze, if you drink
Beer is bought by the cartful.
Noise laws, schnoise laws
Carnival is loud and nonstop for 4 days. Noise laws are rarely enforced. That 3:30am drunken karaoke singer singing his heart out is probably going to keep singing until his friends start blasting reggaton at 5:00am while shooting off fireworks. Learn to accept it; buy ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones.
Keep your furbabies inside
This time of year may be loud for us, but can be just as tiring for our animals. Keep them inside and distract them as much as possible. They’ll likely be anxious during this time, just like some of us may be.
Avoid flaunting anything of value
This holds true anywhere you go, anywhere around the world. Now is a particularly good time to keep your valuables at home. Keep anything of value in your car out of sight. Panama can be safe, but there are always people who like to ruin festivities too.
Join in the festivities
Going to one of the parades and going out dancing can be a lot of fun. It also makes a great excuse for getting out of the house. Be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet. Stop at the dollar store and get a waterproof pouch for your phone, even if you don’t plan on getting wet. You will be surprised how many kids with water guns will be aiming at you. Wear sunscreen and try to drink lots of water. This time of year is one of the driest and warmest times for Panama.
Experiencing Carnival Firsthand
You asked and we planned. A trip to one of the Carnavales Celebrations is on! Last year was nonstop fun and we are looking forward to attending this year’s celebration as well. Details on the upcoming trip will be announced shortly. Be sure to reserve your spot by checking out our events calendar.
Be safe and have fun!