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Panama is a truly special and unique country with traditions and culture deeply rooted in its history. Although the differences between Panama and the United States outweigh the similarities, Panama is incredible, special, and amazing in its own way. It is a diverse country where you can travel from one end to the other and experience such a difference that you might think you're in an entirely different continent. Of course, you can never truly capture the feeling of a country just by looking at pictures, but I believe Panama is so bright and beautiful that you are most certainly able to tell how much its people truly care about their culture and show it in their everyday lives.

My overall favorite part of Panama is definitely the diverse holidays celebrated throughout the country. I feel they showcase creativity and unique traits, and just hearing about them made me want to join in on the fun and experience them for myself. One day, I will certainly make it to the beautiful country of Panama and join myself in its culture. The holiday I would most want to experience is Carnival. I’d love to see the parades, feel the energy, and get lost in the singing and dancing just letting go and enjoying the moment. Carnival is best known for its showcase of culture and traditions, filling everyone with joy, happiness, and fullness before Lent begins.

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Panama, also known as the Republic of Panama, is located in Central America. Panama has a growing population of 4,536,778 and is known as a fairly recently popular location for tourists. Panama is a very diverse country in which you can see many different types of scenery in a fairly short amount of time. Panama City, for example, is filled with tall buildings and has more of a New York City feel, while many other parts, such as the Panama Canal, are much more natural and green.

Like any country, Panama certainly has its good and bad parts, including safe and not-so-safe areas. It really just depends on where you are. In Panama, the language most commonly spoken is Spanish; however, there are a few other quite commonly used languages, such as Panamanian Creole English, the native language Ngabere, and even a slight amount of Kuna.

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Since Panama is a very diverse country, it has a huge variety of holidays celebrated within the country, some of which are the same as those celebrated in the United States. The holidays that one from America would recognize are Easter and Mother's Day. However, since Panama is a very unique country, most of the holidays are unique to the area as well. In some cases, the holidays celebrated in Panama are shared with Spanish-speaking countries as a whole. Although for many different reasons, most of the holidays include some type of music and dancing.

The top two most popular holidays celebrated in Panama are Carnival and Panama's Independence Day. Carnival is a holiday celebrated just before Lent, a time to reflect spiritually and repent. Carnival includes parades, music, and dancing. It is a very important holiday to celebrate the country's rich culture and have a chance to have fun before the somber season of Lent begins. Independence Day, celebrated on November 3rd, marks independence from Colombia in 1903. It is a patriotic holiday celebrated with parades, festivals, and ceremonies, especially in the capital and throughout the country.

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Panama's culture is a blend of African, American Indian, North American, and Spanish influences. These are expressed within the art, music, religion, sports, and food. What makes Panama so unique is the blend of all these cultures together and how they form a beautiful harmony. The most popular dish to be experimented with in Panama is known as Sancocho. This is a stew with chicken, yuca, corn, plantains, and seasonings. Plantain is typically served with white rice and sometimes a lime on the side.

As far as music goes in Panama, they have a wide variety of music such as salsa, bachata, and rock. However, the most popular by far is reggae. A very strong example of a music artist in this genre is Bob Marley. Reggae can be defined as a music genre developed by Jamaican ancestry and was originally developed in the late 1960s. This genre became popular in Panama a few years later, in the mid-1970s. However, traces of reggae can certainly be found all the way back to the 1950s. It's safe to say reggae has become a staple of culture in Panama, and it would definitely not be the same without it.