Last November 3, Panama celebrated its 106th Indepence Day from Colombia with a lot of parties, prayers, and fanfare. Thousands upon thousands of Panamanians started off the celebrations by attending the special masses set out in the country's different cathedrals. This was followed by massive parades throughout the major thoroughfares of Panama City, the country's capital.
The parade was led mainly by musical groups coming in from the country's secondary schools, where thousands of student participants had trained for an entire year just to prepare for the Independence Day show. Private performance groups also joined in to display their craft. Meanwhile, families who attended the parade were in the sidelines, picnicking with their loved ones or joining the side games located in the capital's street corners.
In general, the month of November is actually considered to be the Patriotic Month. Aside from Independence Day last November 3, November 4 was declared to be the national Flag Day, while the 5th is declared to be Colon Day, the day on which the news of the Independence reached the province of Colon. November 10 is the day considered to be the day of the uprising against Spain, while November 28 serves as the second Independence Day--this time it means independence from Spain--of Panama.
Panama's history as a colony started during the time of the Spanish conquests, and it is obvious with the kind of influences in what we see in Panama right now. Though every month is a good time to go to this Central American nation, visiting it during November will allow you to witness first-hand the kind of pride that the Panamanians put in their local heritage.
One of the things that make the parade a favorite to watch are the Polleros, which are admired by people for their embroidered jewellery that takes an entire year to create. It is that difficult to sew that it becomes a source of pride for a woman once she is able to finish one. Then there's also the Diablicos Sucios, a folk dance that depicts the eternal battle between good and evil.
