If there is a celebration that practically all Panamanians take very seriously, it is the carnival, held this year from February 22 to 25. No matter what social class, ethnicity, religion or status the person comes from, the carnival unites everyone equally towards a single goal, enjoy four days of nonstop celebration. However, there is a town in the Azuero Peninsula that organizes the most famous carnival in the country and one of the most prestigious in the region, this is the town of Las Tablas, which with its famous Tunas and queens of Calle Arriba (up street) and Calle Abajo (down street) attract thousands of Visitors from all over the country, as well as from abroad.
History
According to documents written by a Tableño priest in 1935: this pagan festival has a religious origin since there were two populations more than 200 years ago, one called La Ermita de la Santa Cruz and Calidonia, as the inheritance of the Spanish colonization, the population in Las Tablas was and continues to be, fervently religious, for which the celebration of two different religious festivities (Patronales) were disputed, one on May 3 Holy Cross Day and the other on July 20, feast of Santa Liberata or Santa Librada. Both sides settled their differences by doing couplets, which later were called Tuna and by the geography of the town it was made between those at the top and those at the bottom, hence the famous names of Tuna de Calle Arriba (Up street Tuna) and Tuna de Calle Abajo (Down street Tuna)
Carnival Today
The Carnival that is celebrated today in Las Tablas, had its beginnings in the 50s. It begins on Friday night with the coronation ceremony of the new queens, which this year are Fianeth Corro from Calle Arriba and Grace Marlene Cano from Calle Abajo. The long-awaited “Culecos” are held every morning, where thousands of people gather in the central square to be wet with water by tank trucks placed around the park. The queens walk several times on their float, while people sing, dance and jump to the rhythm of the music until 4 in the afternoon.
Each day has a specific theme in which organizers and designers are inspired to make floats and dresses. At night it is where luxury and splendor take over the streets of this small city in Azuero. Each street parades with large floats, the first being of the “ladies”, followed by the queen and her princesses, always accompanied back by the Tuna that leads hundreds of people singing in favor of their queens.
Costume Saturday: The period themes takes the spectator throughout time with a lot of creativity and glamor.
Coronation Sunday: Each street brings out the splendor of its floats and costumes of the coronation day.
Fantasy Monday: The creativity to surprise the public with themes full of lights and special effects are the highlight of the night.
La Pollera Tuesday: Pays tribute to the typical Panamanian costume. From the queen to her princesses and ladies they dance to the rhythm of the most beautiful costume in the world. Likewise, each float carries designs related to the folk traditions of the region.
The Topon: After 4 days of parties and rivalries between both streets, on Wednesday at 5 in the morning both queens make their walking tour through the streets and each Tuna deploys its power with burning fireworks to show who was better during the 4 day celebration.
Las Tablas Carnival is one of the cultural expressions that no local or foreign visitor should miss in order to know the heart and joy of Panamanians.
