Many Panamanians consider the Azuero Peninsula as the ‘seat’ of the country’s culture.  Panama’s national dress is the pollera, which is traditionally hand-made in this area. The national dance and most popular music típico is also from the Azuero region.

Fiestas Patrias

Fiestas Patrias

The festivals that are held in the various towns and villages of Azuero are a wonderful opportunity to taste the traditional food, see the traditional dress and dances, and mostly to experience local pride and fun-loving culture.  The most important festival is carnival, which takes place during the 4 days before Ash Wednesday.  Unofficially the “best” carnival in the country is in Las Tablas, however, for a tamer but equally colorful experience you may prefer trying out nearby Pedasí.

Panamanians have lots of public holidays. Here are some of the main ones:

Public Holidays in Panama 2010
1 Jan New Year’s Day
9 Jan National Martyr’s Day
12-16 Feb Carnival
2 Apr Good Friday
1 May Labour Day
15 Aug Old Panama City Day
3 Nov Independence Day (from Colombia)
5 Nov Independence Day (Colón City only)
10 Nov Call for Independence from Spain
28 Nov Independence Day (from Spain)
8 Dec Mother’s Day
25 Dec Christmas Day

There are also many regional public holidays and it seems like every town, however small, has their own celebrations throughout the year. Many of these occur in November with the various ‘calls’ for independence, not to mention countless patron saint celebrations. Azuero really is the heart of this culture!

Diablicos

Diablicos