National traditions of Panama. Habits, mentality and the way of living

Panama is a country of mixed culture, connecting the influences of Latin America, China, Europe, Africa, India and North America. Panamanians are friendly and open people who love to have a good laugh. Contacts with relatives and friends are important to them. While Europeans adjust communication with their relatives to their schedule, Panamanians have it at the forefront, with everything else (work, leisure, hobbies and so on) having to adapt to it. Residents of Panama will therefore often postpone the errands for later so as to go to a party with friends or spend time with the family.

Most Panama residents love foreigners and offer them a warm welcome, because travelers from other countries elicit their interest. They can spend hours not only talking about their country, but also listening with genuine interest to stories about cultures they know little about. In Panamanians, honesty and straightforwardness are combined with modesty and concern for the feelings of other people. For this reason, they often say “maybe” instead of a firm “no”, when they want to refuse their interlocutor something – this is how their fear of offending a person is manifested.

Among the shortcomings of Panamanians is that they often do not bother to search for a garbage can, and hence throw garbage right on the street. They also spit and pick their noses without shame. It is also safe to say that they are noisy people: they often organize parties that last from late evening until early morning, just as they are also known to listen to music without headphones while in the public transport. On the other hand, the residents of Panama love to appear very neatly dressed and elegant. Even with strong heat, few people wear sandals, shorts and simple T-shirts. The men wear shirts and trousers when going out, while the women wear dresses or jeans with a jacket. To be in cities with a naked torso is possible only on the beach. To appear like this in other public places is prohibited by law. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Panamanians are ready for whatever for the sake of friends and relatives. Friendship in Panama is appreciated. New acquaintances are easily made, and locals like to invite new and old friends over for a visit. This is an evidence of their well-known hospitality. Those invited usually bring small gifts like a pack of sweets. Panamanians cannot be said to be punctual when they go to meet with friends, but everyone always comes to business meetings on time. At a meeting, familiar men shake hands, while the women embrace one another. During conversations, it is not customary to touch your interlocutor, as in the countries of Latin America. Panamanians respect someone else’s personal space and expect the same from others.

In a formal setting, they address each other using the title “don” or “dona” for men and women respectively. This is then followed by the surname of the person. The same can be said about addressing elders by age or status. Family members in Panama take care of each other. This treatment is not only restricted to grandfathers and grandmothers, parents and children, but also aunts, cousin-brothers and cousin-sisters. You will very often find more than three generations of a family living in the same house. Children are taught to respect their seniors, most especially the elderly. It is not customary to send old people to nursing homes, such as in North America for example. Instead, children and grandchildren take care of older family members. Panamanians often live with their parents until they get married.

Romantic relations in Panama have its own laws. The first dates necessarily take place in clubs, bars and other places where music is played, and Panamanians do not like it when the object of their desire is not dancing. Both women and men in Panama are jealous and quickly become indignant if someone gives unsolicited attention to their partner. In this case, a man or a woman who spends time with his/her paramour can unceremoniously approach another party visitor and invite him/her to the dance. Macho behavior is still common among Panamanians, and often men whistle and utter greasy comments about unfamiliar women on the street. At the same time, every year more and more women build successful careers, often holding positions in political and educational sectors.

In general, thanks to the mixing of cultures, Panamanians are tolerant of other religions and races, but open homosexuality will not be met with understanding. More than 80% of Panamanians consider themselves Catholics. The remaining 20% ​​consists mainly of Protestants, and to a lesser extent – Hindus, Muslims and Rastafarians. In the country, everyone is guaranteed freedom of religion. Panamanians love their country and are proud of its nature, culture and history. Subsequently, the national pride of the people of Panama should be treated with sensitivity. To win the heart of the inhabitants of this wonderful country, it is enough to respond positively about their homeland. A Spanish-speaking tourist will completely delight Panamanians.