Panama's patriotic parading season begins on November 3 (Independence Day, celebrating the 1903 separation from Colombia) and continues on the 4th (Flag Day, marking the Panama City cabildo abierto in which the new flag was adopted and independence formally declared), 5th (when Colon celebrates the surrender of the Colombian garrison), 10th (when the town of Los Santos marks that day in 1821 when a cabildo abierto in that community called for independence from Spain) and 28th (the anniversary of Panamanian independence from Spain, which was followed almost immediately by fusion with Simón Bolívar's Gran Colombia). The 10th and 28th will be officially celebrated on the following Mondays, according to Panama's law to reschedule most holidays so as to create long weekends.

Schools, community groups, the bomberos and the police force all have their bands, which are all practicing in earnest for the season. Photo by Eric Jackson

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