Interesting Facts about Panama

Did You Know?

3 curious facts about Panama.

• The idea of building a canal on the isthmus to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans dates back to the 1840s. France, Britain and the USA were all interested in a canal linking the oceans.
• Ferdinand de Lesseps, a Frenchman who built the Suez Canal, made an unsuccessful attempt to construct a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (1879-1889).
• Birthday traditions iclude piñatas and large parties. The piñata is the most important item. They are usually made to resemble a character to correspond with a theme. It is filled with candy and confetti and is either hit with a stick or there are ribbons on it to pull. When the cake is served, the happy birthday song is often performed in two languages, Spanish and English. The cake is served with ice cream. The extended family is invited and sometimes up to 100 children are invited.