Christmas in Panama is a vibrant celebration that blends tropical warmth with heartfelt traditions, creating a unique holiday atmosphere. It is a time when many families in Panama come together!

While there may not be snow, it still feels like Christmas here with many holiday events happening in December.

Christmas festivities in Panama include delicious food and cherished customs.

Many families head to the beach to share in the joy of Christmas, creating new traditions while honoring old ones.

For those looking to gather with family and friends in Coroando, the Coroando Golf & Country Club hosts an annual Christmas dinner promising great food, music, and company.

Unique Holiday Customs and Celebrations in Panama

Panama’s Christmas celebrations extend far beyond December 25th, creating a festive season that lasts well into January. The holiday period officially begins on December 8th with the Día de la Inmaculada Concepción (Day of the Immaculate Conception) and continues through Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) on January 6th.

Panama’s Christmas celebrations extend far beyond December 25th, creating a festive season that lasts well into January. The holiday period officially begins on December 8th with the Día de la Inmaculada Concepción (Day of the Immaculate Conception) and continues through Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) on January 6th.

One of the most enchanting traditions is the Posadas, nine-day celebrations leading up to Christmas that reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. Neighborhoods come together for these processions.

Terra Viva invites you to the third Christmas Posada in Coronado, Saturday, December 13th, from 4:30 p.m. in Terra Viva Coronado. Enjoy Christmas Carols, a live nativity scene, and a get-together. Terra Viva invites you to bring baby items to be donated to the maternity hospital. 

Read about the Terra Viva Posada here. 

The holiday season is a great time to give back. In Panama, many churches and community groups will collect donations during the holiday season. Check the Playa Community News for events where donations will be accepted.

La Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) is the main celebration in Panama, when families gather for the year’s most important meal. After dinner, many families attend Misa de Gallo (Rooster’s Mass), a midnight church service that welcomes Christmas Day. The service is followed by fireworks and continued celebrations that often last until dawn.

On December 24th, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., guests can indulge in a spectacular buffet dinner featuring a traditional Christmas menu that showcases both international holiday favorites and local Panamanian specialties at the Coroando Golf & Country Club. 

Traditional Panamanian Christmas Foods

Food takes center stage during Christmas celebrations in Panama, with families spending days preparing elaborate feasts that reflect the country’s rich culinary heritage. Today, the Christmas table in Panama is a beautiful fusion of influences that creates flavors found nowhere else.

Tamales are perhaps the most iconic Christmas food in Panama. Unlike their Mexican counterparts, Panamanian tamales are wrapped in banana leaves and filled with seasoned pork or chicken, rice, vegetables, and sometimes raisins or olives. The preparation is often a family affair, with multiple generations gathering to assemble tamales that will be shared with extended family and neighbors.

Pavo Relleno (stuffed turkey) graces many Christmas tables, often stuffed with a mixture of ground meat, rice, and spices. The turkey is typically accompanied by arroz con guandú (rice with pigeon peas), a dish that showcases Panama’s Caribbean influences with its coconut milk base and aromatic spices.

Sweet treats include dulce de leche, a traditional milk candy, and pesada de nance, a dessert made from the small, yellow nance fruit that grows abundantly in Panama. These desserts connect modern celebrations to the country’s agricultural roots and indigenous traditions.

Christmas in Coronado, Panama

Coronado, Panama’s tropical and relaxed atmosphere, influences Christmas celebrations. There is less hustle and bustle of buying and preparing, and more beach barbecues and outdoor parties. Families gather under palm trees decorated with Christmas lights, and Christmas carols play while waves crash nearby; it’s a distinctly Panamanian holiday atmosphere. 

These traditions continued at Coronado Golf & Country Club and in homes throughout Panama, all share the same spirit: bringing people together to celebrate love, gratitude, and hope for the year ahead. Christmas in Panama proves that the magic of the season transcends geography, creating warmth and joy whether there’s snow on the ground or sand between your toes.