No Sleep In Panama At Carnival Time

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29775, 19 March 1962, Page 2

No Sleep In Panama At Carnival Time

[By MAUREEN EPPSTEIN}

PANAMA, March 8.

The Carnival of the Americas has been one of the highlights of the trip for several Christchurch travellers whose ship called at Panama recently.

For the four days before Ash Wednesday no-one seems to sleep at all. All day and night crowds paraded the streets and danced in Fifth of May Plaza. Some were on decorated floats, some herded together on trucks, and some were on the streets, singing and shouting the traditional songs to the heady Latin American rhythm of the incessant drums. Those who had no drums banged on whatever would make a noise. Members of the band played until they grew tired, then handed their instrument* over to a friend While they refreshed themelve*.

In spite of the dense crowds, even the spectators had to dance to that rhythm. Tiny girls gathered the billowing skirt* of their national costume in their hands and danced on the pavement. On the roadside stalls, Panamanian boys scraped the blocks of ice for the local sweet to the beat of the drums.

They pressed the ice shavings into a paper cup, and poured over it a brightcoloured syrup and condensed milk. A few of the passengers tried it, and pronounced it “a bit tasteless, but very refreshing.” National Costume Everyone dresses up for the earnivaL Some of the girls were lucky enough to have an old “pollera,” the Panamanian national costume. "It look* a wonderfully feminine confection,” said a Christchurch woman. Spanish in origin and atmosphere, the dress is of white cambric, embroidered in a bold floral pattern in a contrasting colour, usually red, blue or black. From a wide boat-shaped neckline, braided and trimmed in front with a huge matching pom-pom, two deep frills fall over the arms and bodice. Two deeper frills form the ankle-length skirt.

and each frill is trimmed with hand-made lace.

The girls’ long dark hair is decorated at the back with a Spanish comb, behind which shimmer dozens of beaded flowers.

Some of the girls wore modern versions of the old costume, printed rather than embroidered, and with their skirts a more manageable length. The men’s montuno is also highly colourful. Over white trousers they wear a loose white shirt fringed and embroidered at the hem and at the neck. Even the tiniest children dressed up and paraded with the others. Sometimes a figure in a fantastic costume would be seen, surrounded by a group of friends singing and shouting together. The crowds grew thicker and the pace grew hotter as the four days wore on, coming to a climax on Shrove Tuesday. Then on the morning of Ash Wednesday the fish was burned, the ash scattered, and the fasting of Lent had begun.