Although its origins are religious, carnavales has morphed into an opportunity to celebrate national and regional pride and celebrate Panamanian culture.
Parades include the reinas, or queens, of carnaval that ride on large floats and wear fancy outfits with lots of gemstones, feathers and bright colors. To me, the queens look like tropical birds. The parades also include bands playing típico music with lots of brass and percussion instruments. Neighborhoods in la Ciudad de Panamá (Panama City) each had groups in the parade, usually people dressed up in costumes dancing down the streets. These parades showcase Panama’s diverse Afro-Caribbean history and culture.
At the end of carnavales, a group of men buries a sardine. According to Panamanian folklore, this ritual is said to bury all the sins from the past few days to prepare for Ash Wednesday.
One aspect of Panamanian carnavales is the use of water in the celebrations, called mojadera. Because it’s so hot, part of the festivities are getting sprayed with water from large water trucks, or culecos. It’s like hanging out at a mobile water park. Some say carnavales haven't really started yet if you haven’t gotten wet!
