(The Panama Gringo) If you’re an American living in Panama, there is a good chance you forgot today was Labor Day in the United States. As an expat abroad, I am constantly losing track of these types of celebrations. Normally it doesn’t cause me any problems, but there is the rare occasion that I want to contact a business or handle something work-related on a US holiday. This can be rather frustrating and at the same time quite amusing. I mean, I lived in the US for nearly 20 years, you think I would remember its holidays.
This has led me to consider the fact that it might be me. After all, I have trouble remembering the holidays of the country I currently live in! This is much more inconvenient than forgetting that it’s Labor Day.
If you’re like me and have trouble remembering the holidays in Panama, you might find the schedule below quite helpful. It lists the dates of the “dias feriados” left in 2013, and for all of 2014.
National and Regional Holidays in 2013 |
||
| 3 November (Sun) | Independence Day (from Colombia) | National |
|---|---|---|
| 4 November (Mon) | Flag Day | National |
| 5 November (Tue) | Colon Day | National |
| 10 November (Sun) | Anniversary of Los Santos Uprising | National |
| 11 November (Mon) | banks are closed | National |
| 25 November (Mon) | Inauguration Day | National |
| 2 December (Mon) | Independence Day (from Spain) | When this holiday falls mid-week, the following Monday will be observed as a holiday. |
| 8 December (Sun) | Mother’s Day | National |
| 9 December (Mon) | banks are closed | National |
| 24 December (Tue) | Christmas Eve (1/2 day) | National |
| 25 December (Wed) | Christmas Day | National |
| 31 December (Tue) | New Year’s Eve (half day) | National |
National and Regional Holidays in 2014 |
||
| 1 January (Wed) | New Year’s Day | National |
| 9 January (Thu) | Martyrs’Day | National |
| 3 March (Mon) | Carnival (first day) | National |
| 4 March (Tue) | Carnival Tuesday | National |
| 5 March (Wed) | Ash Wednesday | National |
| 17 April (Thu) | Bank Holiday (from 13:00) | National |
| 18 April (Fri) | Good Friday | National |
| 1 May (Thu) | Labor Day | National |
| 15 August (Fri) | Regional holiday | National |
| 3 November (Mon) | Independence from Colombia Day | National |
| 4 November (Tue) | Flag Day | National |
| 5 November (Wed) | Colón Patriotic Day (Colón only) | National |
| 10 November (Mon) | First cry for independence | National |
| 1 December (Mon) | Inauguration Day | National |
| 8 December (Mon) | Mothers’ Day | National |
| 24 December (Wed) | Christmas Eve (1/2 day) | National |
| 25 December (Thu) | Christmas Day | National |
| 31 December (Wed) | New Year’s Eve (half day) | National |
If the holiday falls on a Sunday, it is automatically moved to Monday to give everyone a long weekend. While not all businesses close on national holidays, all banks and government offices do. Many places also close for Jewish holidays, but since they aren’t official holidays there is no warning as to what businesses will be closed. When in doubt, ask.
The above lists are taken from AngloInfo.com.