Panama Flag Day (Panama)

Panama Flag Day, observed on November 4, is one of the proudest days of Panama’s November patriotic festivities. The day after Separation Day (November 3), the whole country turns its attention to the red, white, and blue national flag — the symbol of Panamanian independence and unity.

For Panamanians, November is a month of celebration. Flag Day sits at its heart: a public holiday of flag-raising ceremonies, parades by school and civic groups, and displays of national pride that fill the streets from Panama City to Colón.

The November patriotic festivities

Panama’s November is unlike any other month. It begins with Separation Day on November 3, commemorating the country’s separation from Colombia in 1903. The very next day, November 4, is Flag Day — and the festivities continue with the Colón Day celebrations after. Government offices and banks close, and the country spends days honouring its nationhood.

The flag itself was designed in 1903, the year of separation from Colombia, and first raised on November 3, 1903 — the day of separation. Its four quarters of white, blue, and red carry a blue star and a red star, each with its meaning: blue for the Conservative Party, red for the Liberal Party, white for peace between them, and the stars for purity and authority. It is a flag designed to say, in cloth, that a divided country chose unity.

How Flag Day is celebrated

On November 4, Panamanians raise their flag with ceremony. Flag-raising ceremonies take place at public buildings, schools hold parades, and civic groups march through the streets. The flag flies everywhere — from homes and shops to car windows — and the celebrations carry the energy of a country proud of its independence.

Schools play a central role: students march in uniform, bands play, and the streets become a moving celebration. For visitors, the November festivities are one of the best times to experience Panama’s national spirit at full volume.

How to mark Panama Flag Day

• Learn the meanings of the flag’s colours and stars: blue for the Conservative Party, red for the Liberal Party, white for peace, and the stars for purity and authority.
• Follow Panama’s November patriotic festivities: Separation Day on November 3, Flag Day on November 4, and the Colón Day celebrations after.
• Try Panamanian food and music — sancocho, ceviche, arroz con pollo, and the sounds of tamborito.
• Read about Panama’s separation from Colombia in 1903 and the first raising of the flag on November 3 of that year.
• Learn a few facts about the Panama Canal and the country’s unique position between two oceans.
• Fly or display a flag of your own and think about what your country’s flag means to you.

Why Panama Flag Day matters

Flag Day matters because it celebrates a flag that was designed for unity. In 1903, Panama’s founders deliberately wove the colours of rival parties into one banner with white for peace between them — a promise that the new nation would be bigger than its divisions. Every November 4, Panamanians renew that promise.

It is also a reminder that national symbols gain their meaning from the people who raise them. A flag is cloth; Flag Day is what makes it fly.

Panama Flag Day (Panama) FAQ

When is Panama Flag Day? It is observed on November 4 every year, the day after Separation Day on November 3.

Is it a public holiday? Yes — it is a public holiday in Panama, part of the November patriotic festivities; government offices and banks are closed.

What do the flag’s colours mean? Blue for the Conservative Party, red for the Liberal Party, white for peace between them, and the blue and red stars for purity and authority.

When was the flag first raised? The flag was designed in 1903, the year of separation from Colombia, and first raised on November 3, 1903.

What else happens in Panama in November? Separation Day on November 3, Flag Day on November 4, and the Colón Day celebrations after — a whole month of patriotic festivities.

Read more about November 4 on November 4 Holidays, Observances and History.