Panama Starts Season Of Long Weekends

{costaricapages.com} Panama has a pretty extensive holiday schedule. November and December are the two months with the most national holidays. It’s pretty tough to get much done between now and the new year due to all of the holidays.

Sunday, November 2nd is Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On this day Panamanians will flock to the various cemetaries across the country and pay respect to their lost loved ones. Many take this day to clean up the areas around grave sites and paint the tombstones. Dia De Los Muertos is also a “dry day” in Panama, meaning it is illegal for any store or restaurant to serve alcohol between midnight Saturday and midnight Sunday.

The holiday as a whole is known as Fiestas Patrias or ‘Patriotic Celebrations’. Monday, November 3rd is Panama’s Independence Day from Colombia. This is a national holiday so banks and government offices will be closed. Tuesday is Panama’s Flag Day, followed by the Consolidation of Independence on Wednesday, November 5th.

Basically, most people living in Panama City will be hitting the PanAmerican highway for towns in the interior or the beaches. If you need to get anything done in Panama, you might as well wait until Thursday when most people will be back at work. On the other hand, if you are staying in Panama City, enjoy the peace and quiet of the empty streets!