Partners_Links: November 2009

Hi, to everyone:

I have compiled some of the Christmas traditions in Panama

Christmas greeting in Panama is known as “ Feliz Navidad”. Spending Christmas in Panama is a season to be around our family and friends. Most Panamanian festivities occur during Christmas time, such as the arrival of summer. December is by far one of the busiest month in many countries around the world, and in Panama, things are not different

In Panama, the preparations for the busy Christmas season really begins in November. Once the mes patrio (patriotic month) celebrating Panama´s independence days passes, major banks and businesses replace the red, white and blue banners and flags with red and white, competing to have the best Christmas or nativity scene on their premises or rooftops, hoping to usher in the year end festivities. In addition, department stores start setting up their Christmas displays in their store fronts amd playing Christmas carols over their sound systems, hoping to lure in those early Christmas gift shoppers.

The beginning of the Christmas season is marked by the lighting of the Christmas trees, when Panama City's Mayor makes an open invitation to the Parque Urraca on Balboa Ave., and also at many of the Banks headquarters, malls and hotels follow. Newspaper ads inundate all major newspapers inviting families to chime in and indulge in all the festivities, including gifts and candies for the kids.

Many companies start sending gift baskets to clients and smaller gifts to clerks, receptionists and secretaries. Even employees join in the gift giving playing secret santas, accompanied by an annual company dinner or get together, usually at a restaurant or someone´s home. The famous Club payments play a big part of gift giving. This is where banks make available their clients Christmas savings accounts, available only until the end of the year. For those who have difficulties keeping their savings untouched, this is a good deal.

A unique aspect of Christmas in Panama is the celebration of Mother's Day, also in December. Panama may well be the only country in the world celebrating it in December. But it does! December 8th is another holiday for this already busy month. Mothers receive serenatas.

For stores that sell indoor and outdoor paint, this is also a busy time of the year, as many families do their best to ready their homes for the celebrations, family visits and parties. Remember Dec 15th is the beginning of the summer in Panama and most families traditionally like to receive the new year with a newly painted house and painters are more than eager to get that extra cash.

By this time of the year, if you didn´t book a hall for your Christmas celebration, it´s probably too late. Companies book several months in advance to celebrate their Christmas parties, which include fancy dinners, maybe a dance, gift giving, a raffle for the big prize, announcements and employee recognitions.

In case you didn't know, 99% of all Panama's employees get paid on the 30th and the 15th of every month. If you plan to go shopping, to the bank or the grocery stores, make sure you avoid going between the 29th and the 1st, and the between 14th and 16th of every month. It's hectic. Trust me!! Even more because by law, companies pay what in Spanish is called 'décimo tercer mes', a 13th month bonus. They take the monthly salary, divide it by 3 and pay 1/3 in April, 1/3 in August and the last 1/3 in December. You can only imagine how everybody anxiously await this extra cash.

And with money in the pockets, here comes the Teleton. An annual fundraising organized by Club 20-30. Every year, Panamanians share our wealth to benefit needed children. Every year, on the second week of December, the telethon 20-30 takes place in Panama City. This telethon is a fundraising telethon sponsored by Club Activo 20-30 of Panama since 1980. The telethon is broadcasted for 27 consecutive hours. Proceeds from this telethon are used to fund projects to enable impoverished families to become self-sufficient. The goal increases every year and Panamanians always manage to reach it.

On December 24th, most banks, offices and government agencies close at noon. By now, beauty sallons are full swing and kitchens witness the cooking and the baking of the many dishes to be served at night. That's rigth! Panamanians have their Christmas dinner during Christmas eve. What is it served? On this occasion, the Panamanians serve some of their traditional food, such as pavo, which is Turkey; relleno, meaning stuffing; arroz dulce, and tamales which consists of a cornmeal made into a paste with Arturo sauce, prunes, capers, meats, and spices wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled. It will definitely vary from house to house, and even from Province to Province, but you can assure that tamales is by far a traditional dish served throughout the country. Other Panamanian Christmas foods are ham, potato salad with beets and .rosca (soft egg-bread braided and baked in a wreath shape), and Bowls of fruit containing grapes, apples and bananas decorate the Christmas tables. The most popular dessert from the Panamanian cuisine in Christmas is represented by fruicakes.

At 10:00 p.m., in most homes, it's time for Christmas mass for those of the Catholic faith. This tradition takes them to Church at this time to then go home and share a meal and serve the spirits.

At mid night gifts are given to each family member and in some occasions people rather wait until the next day to open them.

Also, around 12:00 midnight, with the sound of firecrackers ringing through the air, the festivities are just beginning... so if you plan to sleep early, you may need to plan ahead..but for Party lovers, you´ve come to the right place. Many will stay out all night, bringing in the new day, where the celebrations continue.

On the morning of Christmas people go to the church to offer prayers. The rest of the day is spent by making fun, eating special foods and visiting far off friends and families.

For us Panamanians, Christmas is something to do more with family. The Panamanian culture tends to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. One difference in our Christmas is the abundance of manger scenes. Jesus is actually a part of Christmas in Panama. There is a type of friendly competition among neighborhoods to see who makes the best birth nativity display for Jesus.

High end Panamanian families tend to travel to their beach houses with their entire family and sometimes close friends. Middle income families tend to do the same or in some cases “house hopping” is their option.

Panamanians love to decorate. The way large banks and insurance buildings on “Calle 50” (50th Street) decorate… you’d think you were on 5th Ave. in New York City! The lights Christmas parades are fantastic. Areas in Panama City such as the Banking district (Obarrio, Calle 50 and Marbella) are recommended to see in order to appreciate the beauty of high income entity nativity displays.

December is also time for the Posadas (Christmas Caroling). where community groups and church goers organize small groups and choose children to represent Mary and Joseph, angels and sheperds. They agree in what houses to stop and ask for 'hospice' for Mary and Joseph. These house owners are supposed to say no and the group sings from house to house until they arrive to the 'one' that will take them in and will grant them 'posada'. Songs are sang and prayers are shared before the hosts bring out goodies for the kids. In Panama, Christmas music iis called "villancicos".

The 20th of the month brings in a different kind of spirit, as some groups remember this day as the 'Día de la Invasión' (Invasion Day), when the US troops arrived with the sole purpose of taking Noriega out of Panama, and in this attempt many died and are rememberd every year.

Third week in this last month, kids are out of most public schools and this means one more thing to add to December: Graduations. 6th and 12th graders walk to receive their diplomas, friends and relatives buy graduation gifts and moms go frantic preparing their kids' graduation family party.

By now shoppers are stressed. Stores open until late. Some store open until 1:00 a.m. for the three weekends before Christmas. Every where you look there are people shopping.

Lots of singing, dancing and fun surrounds the Christmas and New Year in Panama. During the Christmas and New Year Eves, local and international bands perform at hotels and night clubs.

We also love presents! Panamanians love beautifully wrapped gifts. We are a generous people who both love to give and receive. In every store, there are section where our gifts are wrapped for free. If you don't have patience to wait to wrap your gifts, you just have to ask for yards of wrapping papers and bows.

The American influence with the building of the Canal Zone changed the holidays into a mixture of Panamanian and American traditions. As a consequence of that, Panamanians love to embellish our outdoor lawns and yards with lights and decorative crafts. During Christmas, our houses are decorative. Floodlighting combined with spotlighting in shrubbery is common, with the traditional stars above sharing attention with the lighted Christmas trees in the yard. Icicles lights are very popular lights that are used to form a backdrop for an angelic choir. Synthetic snowmen, elves and gnomes or a Nativity Christmas scene heightens the outdoor decorations. It is a Christmas tradition to visit neighborhoods like Villa Lucre, Brisas del Golf, Obarrio, Calle Belen, Albrook to appreciate the creativity of our houses.

In Panama, Christmas trees are very important. A Christmas tree is the center of attraction in most houses. It is decorated with the traditional lights, angel treetop, icicles, and other Christmas ornaments. Every Panamanian longs to have a fresh fir or pine tree in his living room, no matter what the cost The price range of Christmas trees is from $15.00 to $75.00. We dismantled our Christmas trees on January 6th.

Here are some interesting facts:
Panama is the third largest “consumer” of cut Christmas trees, behind the United States and Canada.

An estimated 90% of Panamanian homes will have either a fresh cut or an artificial Christmas tree.
75,000 cut fir or pine Christmas trees will be imported this year.
There are at least 500,000 families in Panama (population slightly over 3 million).

In December, the mayor of Panama City organized a Christmas Parade that gathers kids, teenagers, and adults from all around the country. This annual parade is a special occasion for all Panamanian families to gather and enjoy the beauty of this magical event and time of year. In addition, round 12,000 children from different poor areas of the city re the guests of honor to a VIP pre-party in Parque Urracá, which included shows, artist presentations, lots of different foods, and gifts and candies for the kids. A lot of toys are distributed to kids who otherwise might not have received anything for Christmas. Those who can't make it in person can watch the parade live on TV.

This festive parade started in Parque Urracá, as it does every year. It continued over to Avenida Balboa, then to Avenida Aquilino de la Guardia and on to Calle 50, ending at Via Porras with a sparkling show of fireworks. Along the way spectators enjoyed floats (representing corporations, churches, schools, and government entities) and local bands, all celebrating the theme "Christmas Spirit." Every year the floats are decorated in traditional Panamanian styles, and people in the parade dress in "polleras" (the typical women's dress style) and "montunos" (the typical men's style). The drummers (firefighters, policemen and high school students) keep the crowds entertained by swinging the drums around their necks a couple of times and then picking up again where they left off, drumming while marching.

In Panama, there is a Christmas tradition, called the muñecos that are displayed along the roads of West Panama after Christmas' Eve until New Year's Eve. Muñecos are effigies that are burned in New Year's bonfire parties. It's an old tradition of the rural area of Panama that was dying out until some local governments and legislator Arturo Araúz stepped forward to sponsor contests, with cash prizes for the best muñecos. The best muñecos can be appreciated in the districts of Capira, Chame and San Carlos.

Political figure, entertainers, historical characters and ordinary people in typical garb are frequent subjects.

Although Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the other big holiday in Panama is Epiphany - or Dia de los Reyes (Kings Day), when children get presents.
Christmas music is often

I recently came across an article that listed Panamanians as the fourth happiest people in the world. The study was done by the British think-tank New Economics Foundation (NEF), a group that puts together a Happy Planet Index every year, and they do so by evaluating a population's satisfaction, life expectation, and environmental footprint. A pretty legit census.

As traditions may vary from country to country, dishes, times of celebrations and traditions may be vary from country to country, but one thing is certain, in Panama, many look inward, with some experiencing feelings of happiness and togetherness and in the end...a time to prepare for what the next year may bring!

I guess you’ve figured out that Christmas is important in Panama and why we are the fourth happiest people in this world. Que viva Panama

Partners_Links

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Christmas in Panama: From a wonderful Panamanian lady in our church

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Peninsula Consortium on Homelessness, Nov19, 2009

Blog Archive