Christmas in Panama is a fascinating mix of family, food, music, church and very late nights. And if you're wondering whether Christmas is celebrated on December 24th or December 25th, the answer is: both, but the 24th is usually the big celebration.

For many Panamanian families, Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, is the main event. December 25th is officially Christmas Day and is a holiday, but the biggest family gathering, special dinner and midnight celebration generally happen on the night of December 24th.

Nochebuena: The Big Night

On December 24th, families begin preparing for the evening. Homes become busy with cooking, relatives arrive, music starts playing and people get dressed up for the occasion. In many families, Christmas Eve is one of the most important family gatherings of the entire year.

Dinner is often served late, sometimes around 9 or 10 PM or even later. And then comes the part that surprises many foreigners: midnight is a major moment.

At midnight, when December 24th officially becomes December 25th, families often hug and wish each other ¡Feliz Navidad! Gifts may be opened, fireworks may go off and people may continue celebrating well into the night.

For many Panamanians, this is when Christmas truly arrives.

What Is Served for Christmas Dinner?

Traditional Panamanian Christmas food is hearty, festive and definitely not designed for someone trying to eat lightly.

One of the most traditional dishes is roasted pork, or pernil. A large piece of pork is slowly roasted and seasoned with garlic, herbs, spices and other ingredients. The outside becomes beautifully browned while the inside remains tender and flavorful.

Another extremely important dish is arroz con pollo, although Christmas rice can take many forms depending on the family. Rice is often prepared with vegetables, seasonings and sometimes raisins or other ingredients that give it a festive character.

Then there is ensalada de papa, the famous Panamanian potato salad. Potatoes are combined with ingredients such as carrots, mayonnaise and sometimes beets, which can give the salad its distinctive pink or colorful appearance. It is one of those dishes that seems to appear at practically every major Panamanian celebration.

And then you have tamales, another classic Christmas food. Panamanian tamales are different from Mexican tamales and other versions found throughout Latin America. They are generally made from corn dough filled with meat and other ingredients, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

A Christmas table might therefore contain pernil, tamales, rice, potato salad, plantains and other family specialties, creating an enormous meal that can keep everyone eating for hours.

Christmas Ham Is Also Popular

Ham is another common part of Christmas celebrations in Panama. Some families serve a traditional Christmas ham alongside pork, while others choose one or the other depending on family tradition.

The exact menu varies enormously from household to household. Panama has strong regional and family traditions, so there isn't one official Christmas dinner that everyone eats.

That's part of what makes Christmas interesting.

Ask five Panamanian families what they eat for Christmas and you might get five slightly different answers.

And Then Come the Drinks

Christmas isn't complete without something to drink.

You may find beer, wine, rum and other alcoholic drinks at adult gatherings, while families also serve plenty of nonalcoholic beverages.

One particularly festive Panamanian tradition is ron ponche, a creamy alcoholic drink similar in spirit to eggnog. It is especially associated with the Christmas season and may be homemade or purchased ready-made.

And naturally, Panama's famous rum makes an appearance at many adult Christmas celebrations.

Christmas Music Is Everywhere

Music is another huge part of Christmas in Panama.

Traditional Christmas songs, Latin music, salsa and other popular music can continue late into the night. In some neighborhoods, you can hear music coming from several houses at once.

Christmas in Panama isn't necessarily a quiet, peaceful evening where everyone goes to bed at 10 PM.

It can be loud.

It can be social.

It can be wonderfully chaotic.

And that's exactly how many families like it.

Church and Midnight Mass

For Catholic families, Misa de Gallo, or Midnight Mass, is an important part of Christmas Eve.

The timing can vary, and some churches hold the Christmas Eve Mass earlier in the evening rather than exactly at midnight. Families may attend Mass before or after their Christmas dinner and then return home for the family celebration.

Panama has strong Catholic traditions, and Christmas remains an important religious holiday even though modern celebrations also include plenty of food, gifts, music and socializing.

What Happens on December 25th?

After the huge celebration on the 24th, December 25th can be surprisingly relaxed.

People may sleep late after staying up until midnight or beyond. Families may gather again for lunch, visit relatives or simply spend the day at home.

Leftover Christmas food becomes extremely important.

And there is usually a lot of it.

In fact, one of the great traditions of Christmas Day is essentially continuing the feast from Christmas Eve. That leftover pernil, rice, tamales and potato salad can become breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Christmas Day is generally quieter than Christmas Eve, although families and friends may continue visiting each other throughout the day.

So Which Day Is Christmas?

Technically, Christmas Day is December 25th.

But culturally, for many Panamanian families, the night of December 24th is when the main celebration happens.

Think of it this way:

December 24th: Big family gathering, Christmas dinner, music, drinks, church, gifts and midnight celebration.

December 25th: Sleep late, eat leftovers, visit family and relax.

That makes Christmas in Panama particularly fun for visitors because if you want to experience the real excitement, you don't want to disappear into bed early on December 24th.

Stay up.

Listen to the music.

Enjoy the food.

Wait for midnight.

And when the clock strikes twelve, you'll hear people saying:

¡Feliz Navidad!

That's when Christmas really begins.