Abstract

This article discusses the construction of November 3, the day of the national holiday of Panama, the commemorative program and speeches spread by Panamanian politicians and intellectuals between 1904 and 1931. The civic commemoration of this date corresponded with the building process establishing a modern nation events, dates, heroes to be remembered and places of memory; however, in the process they are undermining further reports. So it was “forgotten” the celebration of July 20, day of the independence of Colombia and reworked the November 28, 1821, Independence Day of Panama of Spain. The ritual promoted by the State to mark the national holiday, continued programming instituted since 1878 to celebrate that independence movement of 1821 and was influenced by the celebration of July 4th, Independence Day of the United States, it is held in the Canal Zone, a territorial space controlled by that country in Panama.

Keywords: nation; national holiday; speeches; national identity; commemoration