National Holidays
Many of Panama’s national holidays are based on religious holidays coming from the Catholic faith or are commemorated on historical dates of importance. On most of these official holidays (dias feriados), banks, public offices, and many businesses are closed. Here is a listing of the most important official holidays that Panama celebrates:
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 9 – Martyrs’ Day (commemorating the 1964 riots over the sovereignity of the Panama Canal Zone)
- Carnival Monday and Tuesday – The Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (can be in March or April)
- Holy Friday – Friday before Easter Sunday (can be in March or April)
- May 1 – Labor Day (Día de los trabajadores)
- November 3 – Separation from Colombia Day (beginning of ¨Fiestas Patrias,¨ term given to the patriotic celebrations during the month of November)
- November 4 – Flag Day
- November 5 – Colón Day
- November 10 – Day of the “Primer Grito de Independencia” (commemorates the uprising against the Spanish crown)
- November 28 – Independence Day
- December 8 – Mother’s Day (Day of the Immaculate Conception)
- December 25 – Christmas