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A Special Day in Panama — July 4th

Last Updated on July 9, 2015 - by Panama Relocation Tours

A Special Day in Panama — July 4th

Carla BlackJuly 4th is not a Panamanian holiday!  But it is indeed a special day.  Every July 4th and 5th Carla Black and her husband Angel Rodriguez open up their beautiful private garden for anyone to come visit. They live near Volcan, on the far western side of Panama.  The garden is filled with beautiful heliconia flowers, magnificant views, water features, and hiking trails.  They have a plant sale during the two special days.   Carla is currently the President of the Heliconia Society International.

Heliconia?  You’ve seen them, even if you didn’t know what they were called.   Heliconias are the ultimate exotic flowers, starring in arrangements in tropical hotels around the globe and as far away as outer space – on television, anyway; heliconias greeted intergalactic ambassadors on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Closer to home, they can’t be beat for providing fantastic foliage and bright color in tropical and subtropical gardens

Heliconia
Astonishingly, all of the gorgeous forms of heliconia are made by nature. Humans have not been able to successfully hand-pollinate heliconia, so there are no artificial hybrids. Hummingbirds are the only pollinators observed by scientists, though many other creatures visit the flowers. Natural hybrids are rather common, thanks to incessant visits by those hummers.  And were sure do have a lot of hummingbirds in Panama!

Now that you know about the role of hummingbirds, which are found only in the New World, you’ll not be surprised to learn that the approximately 250 species of heliconias are native to the Americas (with the exception of six species in the South Pacific which are pollinated by bats).

In Panama, you see heliconias growing alongside the road and on hiking paths everywhere.

Heliconia

CLICK HERE to see the incredible views from Carla’s house and some of the plants she had for sale.  Here are more photos of heliconias at Carla and Angel’s 5 acre garden…

heliconia

Pond at Carla Blacks
Pond and Lilypads at Carla Blacks

heliconia

heliconia

heliconia

pond at Carla Blacks
Another Pond and the side of Carla and Angel’s home

yellow heliconia

Carla Black Plant Sale

heliconia

heliconia

pond at carla black's
Check out that view!

 

 

bird of paradise
Admiring the Bird of Paradise

On the drive over to Carla’s garden, my friends and I spotted this unusual horse statue

Horse Statue
Horse Statue

As we were leaving the garden, another visitor was entering with an 8 month old howler monkey she  had rescued.

howler monkey baby
Howler Monkey Baby

 

heliconia

On July 4th, there were Independence Day celebrations all over Boquete.  Many restaurants had live music and BBQ specials.  Some had fireworks too.  By the way… fireworks are sold year round in Panama because there is always a good reason for a party.

So… even when you move to Panama… you can celebrate traditional USA holidays.

 

November is Holiday Month in Panama

Last Updated on November 10, 2014 - by Panama Relocation Tours

November is Holiday Month in Panama

This excellent article from The Cat Den Team, the best real estate agents in the Coronado/Gorgona area,  explain all the Holidays in Panama in November.  It’s great if you like to party. But it’s frustrating when you go to town and everything is closed… again.. for another holiday.

November is the busiest month for holidays in Panama. With not one, but TWO celebrations for independence, there are plenty of reasons for a party. In fact, there are actually five, yes, FIVE national holidays in Panama during the month of November.

You may want to make note of when these holidays will be occurring and stock up on groceries before the masses hit the beaches to celebrate! You may also want to find your ear plugs if you do not like loud music playing until all hours of the morning. It also wreaks havoc with traffic, so plan your journeys accordingly and whatever you do, do NOT drink and drive, as the police are out in full force and have zero tolerance for drinking and driving.

In addition to it being super-busy at the beach, be aware that it also means five days that the banks, public offices, lawyers’ offices, etc. are all closed. Do not expect much to happen in business during the month of November, as most of the country is in “party mode.” Panamanians love to celebrate and they have plenty of reasons to do just that during this month.

Monday, November 3rd is Independence Day (Separation from Colombia)

Colorful polleras and intricate headdresses fill the streets of Panama City as the Panamanians show off their national dress and celebrate their independence from Colombia since 1903 (which then consisted of Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador). They dance the traditional El Tamborito and El Atravesao through the streets, as military processions and a multitude of school bands fill the air with music, sharing their joy in celebration. This parade generally takes place on one of the main streets of Panama City, which is shut down for two days to accommodate the parade and celebrations.

Tuesday, November 4th is Flag Day (Common Local Holiday)

panama flagThis is a public holiday across Panama as they celebrate the adoption of the national flag of Panama on November 4th, 1925. Maria Ossa de Amador designed the flag in secret as they patiently awaited their independence from Gran Colombia. The design of the flag reflected the political situation in Panama at the time. Each section of the flag had a special meaning: BLUE represented the Conservative Party, RED represented the Liberal Party and the WHITE sections stood for both purity and peace.

Wednesday, November 5th is Colon Day (National Holiday)

This is the day the Panamanians in Colon managed to convince the Colombian officers at the port not to fight Panama’s separation from Colombia, securing the country’s independence once and for all. It also commemorates Christopher Columbus’s arrival to the Americas.

Monday, November 10th is Shout in Villa de Los Santos (National Holiday)

This is the day that Panamanians remember the “uprising in Villa Los Santos” against the Spaniards, which was the first cry for independence from Spain. On this day in 1821, the villagers of Los Santos spoke up about their unhappiness with Spanish governance and asked for revolutionary assistance.

Friday, November 28th is Independence From Spain (National Holiday)

This holiday commemorates Panama’s independence from Spain, celebrating almost two centuries of freedom from colonial rule. Just 18 days after the Shout in Villa de Los Santos, Panamanians took the first step toward their independence. In an open town meeting, Panama was declared a sovereign entity and freed from the control of the Spanish Monarchy, joining with Gran Colombia in 1821.

If any of the above holidays fall on a weekend, Panamanians create a “bridge holiday”, which extends the holiday until the following Monday. Thus, Monday, December 1st is the day off work for Independence from Spain.

… Then comes December 8th for Mother’s Day.  Another reason for a party!