Christmas is celebrated in Panama too: under a bright blue sky at 30 degrees, without any snow.
In December, numerous festivals herald the Christmas season. Each of them combines tradition, customs, faith and family.
Everywhere you see beautifully decorated Christmas trees and colourfully lit palm trees. Magnificent nativity scenes (nacimientos), sometimes even life-size, are displayed in public squares and parks. A particularly impressive recreation of life in Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s birth can be admired all year round in the Church of St Francis of Assisi (Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís) in the historic Casco Viejo district.
On Christmas Eve, families come together, enjoy traditional dishes and celebrate the birth of Jesus. At midnight many attend the Misa del Gallo (Midnight Mass) to celebrate the coming of Christ. 25 December is a public holiday in Panama, but there is no Boxing Day. On 26 December most people are already back at work.
