Holá Panamá! The Festival of Corpus Christi - Autumn Herndon

Holá Panamá! The Festival of Corpus Christi

The festival of Corpus Christi only takes place once a year in Panama to celebrate the rich history of folklore and Catholicism in Panama. Corpus Christi is a Catholic celebration of God and Panamanian folkloric tradition. Panama, which is a primarily Catholic country today, is called Crisol de Razas or “Rainbow of Races.” This nickname comes from Panama’s history of immigration starting from the days of Spanish colonization when Catholicism first found its way to Central America in Panama.

Since then, Panama has become a symbol of cultural diffusion with a population of Panamanians coming from all over the world. One of the most historic and dazzling haunts in Panama City is Casco Viejo or Casco Antigua. The English translation is “Old Town.”

I couldn’t miss the chance to pose in one of the many ruins in Casco Viejo!

Casco Viejo is the only remains of original Panama City, which was burned to ruins by Welshman Sir Henry Morgan in the 17^th century. Here in Casco, the buildings alternate between colorful fronts of rosy pink and powder blue or cratered stone ruins left untouched for hundreds of years. Casco is a tourist heaven (you’ll see many tourists snapping shots for Instagram in the cobblestone streets and gift shops). Far more modern than the antiquated edifices let on, most of the buildings in Casco are hipster restaurants by day and rooftop bars or clubs by night. Walk inside a ruin past 8pm and you might find yourself in a discoteca!

(Plaza Catedral, Plaza de la Independencia, Panama City)
The festivities took place steps away from this gorgeous cathedral… which mercifully had A/C

Yesterday, I found myself in a Panamanian colonial time warp. Folkloric music and rain filled the air. Children danced around a maypole in stage makeup and layered historical costumes, as if they didn’t notice it was over 90 degrees outside. On the weekend of July 5^th, the Plaza de la Independencia turned into a grand festival of Panamanian folklore. It was the weekend-long celebration of Corpus Christi in Panama City. This is one of the biggest Catholic holidays in Panama after Christmas and Easter.

Children dancing around a Maypole

Part of this beautiful celebration is a historical reenactment of the Days of Colonization in Panama. Children and adults dressed in traditional costumes to celebrate. Local artisans sold handmade crafts to represent the different provinces and cultures of Panama. If you ever have the chance to see Corpus Christi in the flesh, then you might notice costumes and images of brightly colored monsters all around. But these monsters aren’t monsters at all. In fact, they represent the Devil.

These life-size cardboard cutouts of El Diablo welcomed us to the festival!

Handcrafted toys of El Diablo for sale

The Panamanian folkloric rendition of the devil is more playful than Christian images in the U.S. and Europe. (See: Red horns, forked tail, flames, eternal screams of the accursed sinners). I stopped to ask a Panamanian vendor what is the purpose of the devil image? She answered me with a sheepish shrug: “Tradición!”

Even this car is in the spirit of Corpus Christi!

Panamanians in colonial dress

Traditional dances in the Plaza de la Independencia

            This festival was a beautiful way to learn and relive the history of colonization in Panama. Language barriers are always tricky to navigate, but I ultimately felt more capable and knowledgeable after talking to a Panamanian vendor. She was kind enough to bear with my butchered Spanish and teach me about the festival origins. I bought a wooden hand-painted plate of a Panamanian folkloric deity from pre-Colombian Panama. According to my Panamanian guide, this type of folkloric art dates back to prehistoric times before the Ice Age.

Showing the trademark open-mindedness of Panamanians, I was given a handmade angel by the vendor for free. “For good luck,” she said, gesturing for me to wear it. The angel had a string attached so that it could be worn as a necklace.

My next stop in Panama is El Porvenir in the Guna Yala province, home to one of the largest indigenous populations in Panama, the Guna.

Saludos!
Autumn Herndon