Hours of Operation

Businesses and government offices typically open weekdays between 8 and 9 am and close between 4 and 6 pm; many keep these hours on Saturday, too. Banks open between 8 am and 3 pm, but ATMs are usually open 24 hours. Standard hours for shops are 9 am-6 pm, but malls are open a couple of hours longer. Small-town businesses frequently close for a couple of hours at midday. Restaurants are generally open until 10:30 pm, as dinner in Panama is eaten later than in the rest of Central America.

Holidays

Panama's national holidays are as follows: Año Nuevo (New Year's Day), January 1; Día de los Mártires (Martyrs' Day), January 9; Viernes Santo (Good Friday), March or April; Día del Trabajador (Labor Day), May 1; Día de la Independencia (Independence Day from Colombia), November 3; Primer Grito de la Independencia (First Cry of Independence), November 10; Día de la Emancipación (Emancipation Day from Spain), November 28; Día de la Madre (Mother's Day), December 8; Navidad (Christmas), December 25. Things operate at half-speed during Holy Week and the week between Christmas and New Year's.

Each region also has its own holidays, and many towns have saint's days.