When Is Panama Independence Day: Panamanians celebrate their Independence Day on November 28 in honor of the day the country ended Spanish rule in 1821.
On November 3, which is earlier in the month, you can celebrate Separation Day, a major national holiday. Panama broke away from Colombia on this day in 1903. Panama first joined Gran Colombia, an alliance of independent countries that included Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, and other states, after it got its freedom from Spain in 1821. Following its voluntary entry into Gran Colombia, Panama received freedom and autonomy within the union.
Ten years have passed since Panama’s Primer Grito de Independencia, or the first statement of independence from Spain. On November 10, the country will remember this event. Another important event that happened before Panama’s official declaration of freedom was the writing of a letter to Simon Bolivar on November 10, 1821. In the middle of the country is the village of la Villa de Los Santos. Along with criticizing the Spanish governor, the message asked Bolivar for help with the revolution.
Festivities with bright parades and amazing fireworks shows will happen all over the country, but Panama City will be the center of everything. For those of you who want to watch the parades, remember that November is Panama’s rainiest month. Bring an umbrella!
November 28: Independence Day
The people were very happy when Panama finally got rid of Spanish rule on November 28, 1821. Only eighteen days after the First Grito de Independencia, this important event took place. In a public meeting, Panama rejected the Spanish Monarchy and showed support for Gran Colombia by declaring itself an independent country.
Nicaragua’s November is Independence Month, which means that four important days in the country’s past are celebrated. The whole country stops moving. Panama will celebrate on November 28 in honor of its freedom from Spain. Flag Day is November 4, and Panama’s independence from Colombia is November 3. These are also important events. November 10 is the First Cry of Independence in La Villa de Los Santos.
Panamanians love celebrations, so they see the whole month of November as a holiday season. The official march takes place on November 3rd and 4th and is attended by government agencies and public and private schools. Wearing their full-dress uniforms with pride, schools, police, and firefighters show off their bands.
Panama City celebrates for two days, and the main streets are generally closed to traffic during that time. This colorful parade travels through those streets. At midnight, the Firemen Band starts playing “dianas” in different parts of the city to start the party. One way Panamanians celebrate and honor their national holidays is through the traditional musical show “Dianas,” which features drums, trumpets, and bugles.
Celebrating Panama Independence Day!
Citizens of Panama may not agree on the exact date of the country’s freedom, but everyone in the country celebrates both dates the same way. “El Mes de la Patria,” or “Month of the Motherland,” is a month in Panama that is all about praising Patria. Not only does November have these important independence days, but it also has a number of other important political authority milestones.
To be more specific, “Fiesta Patria” refers to events that people in Spanish-speaking countries celebrate. There are a number of secular celebrations in Panama in November that this phrase especially refers to. Five official holidays in Panama make up Fiesta Patria. The 4th and 5th of November are Flag Days, and the 10th is Los Santos Uprising Day.
People all over the country celebrate Panama’s freedom days and Fiesta Patria with a wide range of military and civilian parades, important political speeches, and cultural events that show off the country’s uniqueness. Locals wear traditional clothes, and everyone in the country enjoys traditional food. Martial arts groups, amazing fireworks, and mesmerizing traditional dances and music make parades for both students and regular people so special.
Regularly closing government buildings, banks, schools, and private companies that aren’t tourist spots is one way that El Mes de la Patria supports a strong domestic tourism industry. People and families head to the beach and nearby tourist spots during this happy time of year, which makes cities noticeably slow down.
Independence Day in Panama in 2023
In the 1600s, Spanish settlers came to Panama and took control of the country from the islands’ native people. It was part of Peru’s Viceroyalty from 1538 to 1821, so Panama was ruled by someone else.
Panama has become one of the most popular and well-off places in the area because of its strategic importance. Thanks in large part to this, later generations of settlers formed a strong sense of national identity.
On November 10, 1821, a small village called Villa de Los Santos declared independence. This was the start of the Panamanian independence movement, which was part of a larger drive for independence in the Americas. To remember this important milestone in history, it is a public holiday in Panama.
Panama gained its freedom from Spain on November 28. At an open town meeting, the country was officially recognized as a sovereign nation. To remain safe from Spanish retaliation, the area became a department of the Republic of Greater Colombia.
The whole country, but especially Panama City, the capital, will have parades and fireworks shows. For those of you who want to watch the parades, remember that November is Panama’s rainiest month. Bring an umbrella!
History of the Independence Day of Panama
In its history, Panama, a country in Latin America, has been ruled by Spain as a colony and then gained its freedom.
Along with three other important events, Panama celebrates two forms of its Independence Day in November.
Spain ruled Peru for more than three hundred years, during which time the Viceroyalty of Peru, also known as Panama la Vieja, was in charge. It was easy for the Spanish to run this town because it was right on the Pacific Ocean, which helped with trade and business.
People who lived there before were against Spanish colonial rule, but leaders in Venezuela like Francisco de Miranda and later Simon Bolivar inspired the resistance effort. The Spanish tried to join areas in Latin America that Spain controlled, and Panama supported them.
People from Villa de Los Santos spoke out for freedom for the first time on November 10, 1821. People still worried that Spain would punish them after they declared freedom from Spain on November 28 of that year.
On November 28, Panama became independent from Spain, making the day very important for Panamanians.
Panama was afraid that Spain would punish it, so it looked for help and safety from other former colonies and joined the Republic of Greater Colombia as a result.
Panamanian Independence Day from Spain
Since it got rid of Spain on November 28, 1821, Panama was a big part of Gran Colombia (1821–1831). Gran Colombia was made up of parts of what are now Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. Panamanians celebrate their freedom on this day.
To get freedom, the freed Chilean navy took the island of Taboga in the Bay of Panama in 1814 and 1819, while the Cartagena Patriots tried to take Portobelo in 1814 and 1819. Panama moved away from Spain for the first time without a fight. The Spanish viceroy fled to Panama after Simón Bolvar’s victory at Boyacá on August 7, 1819. He ruled with strict power until he died in 1821. There were nationalistic clubs and a free press set up by the liberal constitutionalist who took over after him. After getting the local troops ready and naming Colonel Edwin Fábrega, a Panamanian native, as acting governor, he left for Ecuador.
Panama City started getting ready for freedom after the viceroy of Spain left. While this was happening, Los Santos claimed independence from Spain on November 10, 1821, which pushed back the action. So, on November 28, which is now known as the official date of independence, there was a big meeting in Panama City because of this choice. After that, the major topic of discussion was whether Panama should join with Peru or stay a part of Colombia, which includes both Colombia and Venezuela today. This was backed by the majority vote, but the Panamanian bishop, who was born in Peru and pushed for trade ties, was rejected. Panamanian lawmakers also turned down a plan to join with Mexico.
Does Panama have 2 independence days?
Panama celebrates two Independence Days: November 28, the anniversary of freedom from Spain, and November 3, the anniversary of independence from Colombia. After gaining independence from Spain on November 28, 1821, Panama joined the Republic of Greater Colombia. For 50 years, Panama struggled for complete autonomy.
Panama has two independence days. The first is on November 3, and the second is on November 28, which honors the country’s freedom from Spanish rule. These events are celebrated with a Fiesta Patria.
The Panamanian flag, like the one in today’s Doodle, is flown on shops, cars, and schools to mark this important historical event. Students also work on playing the snare drum and the xylophone in order to be ready for American Independence Day parades. In later events, these school bands will accompany troops and police officers in parades in a number of happy towns.
Parades with acts of El Tamborito, Panama’s national dance, show how proud the country is of itself. Women dance with their partners while wearing skirts with lots of small flowers and beads. Men take off their hats and follow suit.
When did Panama gain its independence?
3 November 1903
On November 3, 1903, Panamanians had revolted against the Colombian government, declared an independent Republic of Panama, and established a provisional government junta.
The U.S. government supports Panama’s decision to break away from Colombia. A group in Panama called the French-American Panama Canal Company helped plan the uprising. The company wants to build a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific seas across the Panamanian isthmus.
The United States got permission to use the Panama Isthmus in exchange for money when the Hay-Herrán Treaty was signed with Colombia in 1903. However, the Colombian Senate turned down the deal because they were afraid they would lose their independence. President Theodore Roosevelt accidentally backed a rebellion led by Panamanian nationalists on November 3, 1903. To help the rebels and hold Colombian troops sent to end the rebellion, the US-run railroad in Panama stopped its trains at Colón’s northern terminus. The American cruiser Nashville was another thing that turned off other Colombian forces that were trying to attack Panama.
Who won independence for Panama?
Independence of Panama from Spain was accomplished through a bloodless revolt between 10 November 1821 and 28 November 1821. Seizing the opportunity, when the Spanish governor left Panama to march on rebellious Ecuadorians, José de Fábrega led a push for independence.
Between November 10, 1821, and November 28, 1821, Panama had a peaceful rebellion that led to its freedom from Spain. José de Fábrega took advantage of the fact that the Spanish governor was away to put down a rebellion in Ecuador to lead the drive for independence for the country. The movement quickly grew and made its way to the capital after the first independence statement was made in the small town of Villa de Los Santos. Insurgents quickly joined forces with the Republic of Gran Colombia because they were afraid the Spanish would take back the land.
Some American naval ships, including the USS Nashville, arrived off the coast of Panama with a group of Marines after the Colombian government sent troops to put down the rebellion. President Roosevelt quickly recognized Panama as a Republic and offered it safety when it declared its independence the next day.
France’s Philippe Bunau-Varilla was Panama’s representative and worked with John Hay, the secretary of state, to write a new canal contract that was approved by the Senate in February 1904. As part of the new deal, the U.S. government gave $10 million to Panama instead of first giving it to Colombia. An American-made constitution gave the government the power to “intervene in any part of Panama, to reestablish public peace and constitutional order.”
Is Panama an independent country?
The United States recognized Panama on November 6, 1903, after Panama declared its independence from Colombia.
Colombia’s history is linked to Panama’s history in a way that seems impossible to separate. From 1492 to 1810, when the Netherlands was still in charge, Panama was a part of the Viceroyalty of New Grenada. Panama could break away from Spanish rule after New Grenada was freed during the Latin American freedom wars. Many Peninsulares went to Panama to escape Simón Bolvar’s advancing forces in northern South America in the early 1800s.
People from the colonies and the Peninsula started leaving the province one by one as the battle went on. In what is known as a “bloodless revolution,” no one was hurt as the rebels in Panama gained independence from Spain. Nicaragua became a free state on November 10, 1821, when rebel leader José de Fábrega made the official announcement. No matter what, Panama joined the Republic of Gran Colombia because it was afraid of Spanish retaliation because its forces and economy were not strong enough. Through the rest of the century, Panama stayed linked to Colombia.
A lot of political unrest happened in the decades after freedom. Unfortunately, Gran Colombia’s central government didn’t work well, and arguments between federalists and centralists led to permanent political splits.
Sometime later, Gran Colombia broke up into two separate countries, one of which became the Republic of New Grenada. Panama stayed in the new republic as a region. Throughout the 1800s, Colombia and its states had many political problems and failed central governments, which made the provinces angry. Panama and other states in the area have long said this.
How does Panama celebrate their Independence Day?
Panama’s independence days and all of Fiesta Patria is celebrated with various military and civilian parades, commemorative political speeches and cultural events that highlight the identities of Panama across the country. Locals wear traditional costumes and traditional food is served throughout the country.
Every year on November 28, Panamanians celebrate their freedom. Could you find out how they enjoyed this holiday?
Rites of March
In honor of Panamanian Independence Day, parades are held all over the country. The biggest are the huge military parades in Panama City, the country’s capital. In many places, student marching bands participate in organized events. The parade is watched by a line of people in the streets.
New Sparks
When it gets dark, fireworks light up the sky over several towns and cities. Witnessing the amazing shows brings people together with their loved ones, friends, and neighbors. November is Panama’s wettest month, so the weather on Independence Day is only sometimes reliable. If it rains, fireworks may be moved or postponed.
Taking trips away
More people move within Panama around Independence Day, April 16 than anywhere else. This holiday is a great time to visit because most stores, government buildings, and schools are closed. Family vacations often involve going to the beach or staying with cousins in the country.
November is a happy month in Panama, as the country has five national holidays. The most important of these is our country’s Independence Day, which is celebrated once a year.
Whether you are planning a trip to Panama in November or not, the Remitly team made this guide to help you learn more about what Independence Day means there. Read on to find out more about the other holidays in November and about Cuba’s Independence Day and its past and traditions.
