Day 342 of 365 Things To Do in Panama

Day 342 of 365 Things To Do in Panama. Observe Mothers Day!

Dia de la Madre, is a special day honoring and bestowing gifts to mothers for giving birth and providing their children with the best of care and upbringing. It is one of the most revered holidays in Panama and is celebrated on December 8th.

People travel from all over the country to be with their mothers for almost a pre-Christmas gathering. The meals can last for hours. One tradition many observe is children serenading their mothers. A group of kids get together with their guitars in a car at midnight and proceed to sing to each one of their mothers until about 5am. It is believed this custom began in Spain and spread to Latin America.

The folklore surrounding the date goes like this. Some say that the Rotary Club petitioned the government to establish Mother’s Day on May 11th, and that politicians decided on December 8th instead. Others say that the wife of Panamanian president Florencio Arosemena suggested both the idea and the date. And yet another story says that Roman Catholics in Panama wanted to make Immaculate Conception Day a national holiday but couldn’t because of forces supporting “separation of church and state”. Making the identical date “Mother’s Day” was a way around that dilemma, according to Public Holidays Global.