The five dates and which weekday they fall on
The four mandatory rest days are listed in Article 46 of the Labour Code; 5 November joined that list through Law 55 of 2001. The 4th has a different origin: Law 2 of 2012 established it as the Day of the Symbols of the Nation (flag, coat of arms and anthem), but did not make it a mandatory rest day for the private sector.
| Date | Holiday | Weekday in 2026 | What it commemorates | Transferred? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 November | Separation of Panama from Colombia | Tuesday | The proclamation of the Republic in 1903 | No, it falls on a weekday |
| 4 November | National Symbols Day | Wednesday | Flag, coat of arms and anthem (Law 2 of 2012) | Not a mandatory rest day in the private sector |
| 5 November | Consolidation of the Separation (Colón) | Thursday | Colón joining the movement and the departure of the last Colombian troops | No, it falls on a weekday |
| 10 November | First Cry of Independence | Tuesday | The uprising in La Villa de Los Santos in 1821 | No, it falls on a weekday |
| 28 November | Independence of Panama from Spain | Saturday | Independence in 1821 | No: the law only moves to Monday the holidays that fall on a Sunday |
The full list for the year, with the next holiday and those remaining, is on Radar Panamá’s Panama public holidays page.
Long weekends: what the law says and what happened in 2024 and 2025
Automatic “bridge days” no longer exist in Panama. They were introduced by Decree Law 8 of 1997 and abolished by Law 28 of 4 May 2015. What remains in force is Article 47 of the Labour Code: when a holiday falls on a Sunday, the rest day moves to the following Monday. If it falls on a Saturday, as 28 November 2026 does, it is not transferred. The fact that the 3rd and 10th fall on a Tuesday and the 5th on a Thursday does not by itself create a long weekend: that would require an Executive decree declaring Monday 2, Friday 6 or Monday 9 as days off, and as of 1 October 2026 no such decree has been published in the Official Gazette or announced by the Presidency.
In 2024, 3 and 10 November fell on Sundays, so Monday 4 and Monday 11 were rest days under Article 47, with no decree needed. In 2025 the dates fell on Monday 3, Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5, Monday 10 and Friday 28; the Government declared Tuesday 4 a day off for public offices, which gave civil servants five consecutive days off, from Saturday 1 to Wednesday 5. No additional long weekend was decreed in 2025. The Executive usually rules on 4 November in the second half of October; extra bridge days are the exception.
What opens and what closes
The pattern repeats every year: the public sector closes on all five dates, retail opens with reduced hours and the 4th is a normal day for most private companies.
| Service | 3, 5 and 10 November | 4 November | 28 November (Saturday) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public offices and municipalities | Closed | Closed if the Executive decrees it, as in 2025 | Closed (they do not open on Saturdays) |
| Schools (MEDUCA) | No classes | No classes: the school calendar marks it as a non-teaching day | No classes |
| Banks | Closed; the Superintendency of Banks suspends operations and banks follow the holiday calendar | Historically banks have also closed on the 4th; worth confirming with each institution | Closed; online banking and ATMs operate |
| Shopping malls | Open on Sunday or holiday hours (generally 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 or 8:00 p.m.) | Normal hours | Holiday hours |
| Supermarkets and pharmacies | Open, many with reduced hours | Normal hours | Open |
| Private companies in general | Mandatory rest; those who work earn a 150% surcharge | Ordinary working day | Mandatory rest |
| Roads in the capital’s centre | Closures for parades on the 3rd (Casco Antiguo, Avenida Balboa, Vía España) | Closures for parades | No major closures in the capital; parades are held in the interior and in outlying districts |
How holiday work is paid
Article 49 of the Labour Code sets the surcharge: work on a day of national holiday or mourning is paid with a 150% surcharge on the ordinary day’s wage, without prejudice to the right to another rest day in the week. Anyone working on the 3rd, 5th, 10th or 28th is paid two and a half times for that day; if they also work the compensatory day they should have received, that day is paid with an additional 50%. The 4th falls outside this rule in the private sector: it is paid as a normal working day, unless the employer grants it voluntarily or it is agreed in a collective bargaining agreement. The calculation starts from the ordinary wage, whose minimum base by region and activity Radar Panamá explains in its guide to the minimum wage in Panama.
The five parades
The parades are coordinated by the Ministry of Education through the National Parades Commission. The 2026 routes have not been announced; MEDUCA confirms them in the second half of October. The cards reflect the 2025 pattern, which repeats that of previous years.
3 November: Panama City
Two routes from 9:00 a.m.: route 1 through Casco Antiguo (from Simón Bolívar park to Avenida Balboa) and route 2 along Vía España (from the Credicorp Bank tower to Avenida Aquilino de la Guardia). More than 40 delegations per route in 2025.
4 November: Panama City and San Miguelito
The capital’s two routes repeat, starting at 8:00 a.m. in 2025, with independent bands, security forces and civic clubs. San Miguelito organises its own parade.
5 November: Colón
The Colón parade runs along Calle 13 and Avenida Central, from the Porfirio Meléndez School to the Puente Rojo at Plaza Millenium, with schools, student bands and independent groups.
10 November: La Villa de Los Santos
Civic parade from 10:00 a.m. along the main streets of La Villa, with official ceremonies for the First Cry. The same day there are parades in Juan Díaz (Vía José Agustín Arango), La Chorrera and San Miguelito.
28 November: the interior and outlying districts
The capital does not host the main parade. In 2025 there were parades in La Chorrera (from 9:00 a.m.), Boquete, David and Tierras Altas in Chiriquí, and in Tocumen, Las Garzas, Betania and San Miguelito. Boquete received around 80 school bands and 22 independent ones.
How to plan a long weekend
- Identify the gap. In 2026 there are three candidates: Monday 2 (bridging to Tuesday 3), Friday 6 (bridging from Thursday 5) and Monday 9 (bridging to Tuesday 10). Leave from Monday 2 to Friday 6 yields nine consecutive days off while spending only two or three.
- Wait for the decree before booking. The Executive usually rules on 4 November in the second half of October. It is advisable to book hotels with flexible cancellation until the Presidency publishes the official November calendar.
- Request leave in writing. The employer sets the dates of leave, so the agreement is best documented in advance.
- Bring paperwork forward. With public offices and banks closed for four or five days, payments, registrations and immigration appointments are best completed before 2 November. Anyone with a lengthy process under way, such as Panamanian naturalisation, should bear in mind that the month loses almost a working week.
Frequently asked questions
Is 4 November a public holiday in Panama?
Not for the private sector: National Symbols Day, created by Law 2 of 2012, is not among the mandatory rest days in Article 46 of the Labour Code. For public offices and schools it usually is, because the Executive decrees it each year and MEDUCA marks it as a non-teaching day. In 2026 it falls on a Wednesday.
28 November falls on a Saturday: does it move to Monday?
No. Article 47 of the Labour Code only moves to Monday the holidays that coincide with a Sunday. 28 November 2026 falls on a Saturday and stays there; anyone working that Saturday earns the 150% surcharge, and anyone whose weekly rest day is Saturday is entitled to another compensatory day during the week.
Is pay doubled for working on 3 November?
It is more than doubled. Article 49 of the Labour Code sets a 150% surcharge on the ordinary wage for working on a national holiday: the day is paid two and a half times. The worker also keeps the right to a compensatory rest day during the week, which, if also worked, is paid with an additional 50%.
Is there a long weekend on Monday 2 November 2026?
As of 1 October 2026, no. Automatic bridge days disappeared with Law 28 of 2015 and only an Executive decree can declare Monday 2 a day off. In 2025 the Government granted only 4 November to public servants and decreed no additional bridge days. Any change is published in the Official Gazette.
Are schools open on the November holidays?
No. MEDUCA’s school calendar marks 3, 4, 5, 10 and 28 November as non-teaching days, including the 4th, which is a day off for public schools and most private ones for National Symbols Day. Students in bands and delegations take part in the parades organised by the ministry itself.
Are banks open on the November holidays?
Banks close on the mandatory rest days (3, 5, 10 and 28) and the Superintendency of Banks suspends operations; historically they have also closed on 4 November. Online banking, apps and ATMs work normally, and each bank publishes its national holiday hours in the second half of October.
How many working days does November 2026 have in Panama?
November 2026 has 21 weekdays. After deducting the mandatory holidays that fall on weekdays (Tuesday 3, Thursday 5 and Tuesday 10), private companies have 18 working days; if the Government closes public offices on Wednesday 4, the administration works 17. Saturday 28 removes none.
Where are the 3 and 4 November parades held?
In Panama City, along two routes: Casco Antiguo, from Simón Bolívar park to Avenida Balboa, and Vía España, from the Credicorp Bank tower to Avenida Aquilino de la Guardia. MEDUCA confirms routes and times in the second half of October; in 2025 they started at 9:00 a.m. on the 3rd and 8:00 a.m. on the 4th.
Related articles
- Panama public holidays: calendar and next holiday
- Minimum wage in Panama: how it is set, regions, sectors and how it is calculated
- What Panama exports and to whom
- Panamanian naturalisation: requirements, timelines and exam
Sources
- Labour Code of Panama, Articles 46, 47, 48 and 49 (national holidays, Sunday transfer and surcharges).
- Text of Article 46 with its amendments, including Law 55 of 2001, which added 5 November.
- Consolidated text of Law 34 of 1949 with the reforms of Law 2 of 2012, which sets 4 November as the Day of the Symbols of the Nation.
- RC Group, on the so-called bridge days, Decree Law 8 of 1997 and Law 28 of 2015.
- Telemetro, national holidays 2026: dates and absence of automatic transfers (28 September 2026).
- Telemetro, how many days off in November 2026 and the status of 4 November (1 October 2026).
- La Estrella de Panamá, official 2026 holiday calendar (11 December 2025).
- La Estrella de Panamá, 2025 national holiday calendar and the 4 November day off.
- Telemetro, November 2024 holidays and transfers to Monday 4 and Monday 11.
- La Prensa, how November holidays are paid (Article 49).
- TVN, routes and times of the 3 and 4 November 2025 parades in the capital.
- La Estrella de Panamá, route of the 5 November parade in Colón (2025).
- La Prensa, 10 November 2025 parades in La Villa de Los Santos and elsewhere.
- Telemetro, places with parades on 28 November 2025.
- La Estrella de Panamá, days without classes for national holidays under the MEDUCA school calendar.
- Superintendency of Banks of Panama, notices suspending operations for national holidays.
- Telemetro, shopping mall hours on Sundays and holidays.
The full calendar, with the next holiday and the days remaining in the year, is kept up to date on Radar Panamá’s Panama public holidays page.
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