Carnival/Shrove Tuesday, locally known as 'Martes de Carnaval', is one of the most celebrated holidays in Panama. It is a traditional Christian festivity that happens before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The Carnival in Panama is a famous holiday for its festive parades, extravagant costumes, jubilant dancing, and lively music, but more importantly, it is revered for the sense of unity it brings amongst the Panamanians unlike any other holiday in the country.
During Carnival, every corner of the country vibrate with the rhythm of cumbia, salsa, reggae, and merengue for a five-day non-stop celebration. The festival kickstarts with the coronation of the Carnival Queen and moves forward with an array of events like folk dances, glamorous parades with floats, firework displays, and ‘mojaderas’ - playful water fights among the crowds. No one is left out of the Carnival festivity, it permeates every socio-economic boundary, bringing everyone together in a spirit of confraternity and joy.
The last day, Shrove Tuesday, is considered the main highlight of the Carnival, dubbed as 'El Gran Dia'. On this day, crowd attend 'El Entierro de la Sardina', meaning 'The Burial of the Sardine', an event signifying the culmination of Carnival with an ostentatious funeral procession involving a giant parody of a sardine, that represents the flesh, which one would abstain from during Lent. Though tiring, the final day comes with a sense of melancholy knowing that the joyous festivities have finally ended and sets the stage for the reflective period of Lent, making it a unique blend of festive high and reflective sadness.