February or March
Carnival
The four days before Ash Wednesday, with Carnival Tuesday a paid day off. In Las Tablas, Calle Arriba and Calle Abajo compete with their queens until dawn on Ash Wednesday.
Ministry of CultureThe Panamanian way
Panama is a small country with a big crossroads in the middle, and that shows in how people live: family comes first, rank is respected, and people prefer harmony to a blunt no. At work you will do better with patience, a warm greeting and “usted” than with speed alone.
Here is what helps, with the source behind each point.
Family and the group come first
On the cultural model of Geert Hofstede, Panama scores 11 out of 100 on individualism, one of the lowest in the world. In practice, loyalty to family and close friends weighs more than many formal rules, and work relationships feel like family ones. Expect colleagues to ask about your family, and take the time to answer.
| Dimension | Panama | What it means at work |
|---|---|---|
| Power distance | 95 | People accept a clear hierarchy and expect direction from the boss |
| Individualism | 11 | Loyalty to the group and the family; relationships open doors |
| Uncertainty avoidance | 86 | A strong wish for rules, structure and security |
| Motivation towards achievement | 44 | Consensus, quality of life, working in order to live |
These scores come from a research model built on surveys from decades ago. Use them as a starting point, not as a rule about any one person.
Rank and respect
A power distance score of 95 is among the highest anywhere. Decisions tend to travel up to the person in charge, and a junior colleague may not contradict a senior one in a meeting. Address people by their title and surname at first, copy the boss on the email that matters, and if you need a decision, find out who really makes it.
Usted, ahorita and juegavivo
Start with “usted” and move to “tú” when the other person does; in the interior people keep usted even with friends. “Ahorita” means soon, not this minute, so ask for a time when a delivery matters. And “juegavivo” names the person who always looks for a shortcut, a word you will hear about traffic, politics and business, sometimes with a grudging smile.
Faith
Panama’s Constitution protects every religion and recognizes that Catholicism is the faith of most Panamanians. In a 2022 survey by the national statistics institute, 65 percent of people said they were Catholic, 22 percent evangelical, 6 percent had no religion and 4 percent another. Holy Week, Christmas and each town’s patron saint mark the calendar, and Good Friday is a day of mourning by law.
The Canal, at the heart of the story
For most of the twentieth century the United States ran the Canal and a strip of land around it. The flag protests of January 9, 1964, still remembered every year as a day of mourning, led in time to the Torrijos Carter treaties. The handover ended at noon on December 31, 1999, when Panama took full control of the Canal and of all its territory. If national pride comes up at work, this is usually why.
Festivals your colleagues will talk about
The year has a rhythm that shapes office life, from Carnival in February or March to the patriotic days of November.
All year, festival in May
Congo culture
The Afro-Panamanian Congo tradition of the Caribbean coast around Portobelo, with its little devils, its Congo queen and its water parade, on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list since 2018.
Ministry of CultureMay or June
Corpus Christi
Devil dancers and carpets of colored sawdust in La Villa de Los Santos and Parita, on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list since 2021.
Ministry of Culture
September
Mejorana Festival
Guararé fills with music, dance and crafts of the Azuero countryside, one of the country’s main folk gatherings.
Ministry of CultureJanuary
Panama Jazz Festival
Concerts and free classes at the City of Knowledge in Clayton, founded by pianist Danilo Pérez, with proceeds going to music education.
La Estrella de Panamá, pressFood and the fonda
The tourism authority names hojaldres, carimañolas and sancocho as the national dishes you will meet first. At lunch, many workers eat at a fonda, a small local eatery with a dish of the day. If a colleague invites you to theirs, say yes: sharing a meal is one of the easiest ways into the group.
What we will not tell you
We found no serious study of punctuality in Panama, so we give you no rule about it; and we leave out claims about character that only travel blogs repeat. What the sources do support is simple: be warm, be patient, respect rank and ask for a time.
- Greet everyone in the room, not just the person you came to see.
- Use usted and titles until you are invited to switch.
- Find out who makes the decision, and keep that person informed.
- Ask for a time when someone says ahorita.
- Accept the invitation to lunch.
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