Christmas trees, carols and snowbirds

By Lourdes Quijada

CHRISTMAS  preparations and celebrations begin this week  in the run up to Mother’s Day. December 8, as thousands flock to get their newly imported Christmas  trees  and plan for a seasonal sing along.

This year 111 containers arrived in Panama carrying  a total of 103,261 trees 80% of them from Canada, , up from  94 containers, with 85,343 pines last year. Twenty percent  are from Oregon, USA .

Add  one special outsize tree to that total. It is a giant pine specially imported by the Canadian embassy to  stand next to the stage at Mirador del  Pacifico, on the Cinta Costera for the third annual Carols By Candlelight/Luces de Navidad   participatory festival  on Saturday December 7 raising funds for Santo Tomas and the Hogar Malambo orphanage.

This is an  event  you won’t want to miss and it’s FREE if you want to stand, squat, or take your own seat.  If you want to help the fund raising and be truly part of the scene you can buy a souvenir   LED candle for $5 or $10 and wave it as seven choirs, a quartet  and two soloists sing selections of Christmas carols.  At the end of each presentation  the MC's invite the audience to join in the singing  of a favorite  carol.

The MC's this year are popular Opera Panama singers, Alfonso  Baysa and  Graciela. Saavedra .

The words to the carols, in English and Spanish are in a fr ee32-page song book. Over 22,000 have already been distributed, if you haven’t got yours, check out any Felipe Motta store or Crepes and Waffles in Marbella.

Reserved seating at $20 and $15, including an led candle  is available. Call 6634-7351 or email carolspanama@gmail.com

The concert starts at 7 pm and will be preceded by a children’s candlelight parade led by a band.

A REAL CHRISTMAS
Sociologist  Rubiela Sanchez believes that Panama’s Cultural Authority (INAC) should be moving away from the Santa Claus commercially fired Christmas  and investing in a campaign  for a real Christmas based around the Nativity,

The CanadaPlus Club, which organizes the Carols event has labeled it as “Putting Christ back into Christmas". INAC has been a supporter since Carols by Candlelight was first performed on the steps of the institution in 2011.

For the government revenue from tariffs  on Christmas trees has also increased.

According to the National Customs Authority (ANA ) each imported tree nets  the government 10% of the value plus 7 % ITBMS . By November 15,102,000  entered the country between natural and artificial trees, achieving revenue of $109,431. That would go a long way towards helping the organizers achieve their dream of  creating an international festival for next year, with choirs from Europe and North America,

They  have made the first step with the appearance of the Thames Community Centre Choir from London Ontario, who will be premiering a new carol,  The Shepherds and the Mejoranero, commissioned from Canadian composer Beverly Lewis specially  for the event.

SNOWBIRDS RECEPTION
A  poolside  wine and gourmet hot and cold snacks reception for the choir, and other seasonal visitors from the northern hemisphere,  is being held at the Miramar Intercontinental Hotel on Thursday, December 5, starting at 7.30 pm, and you will get your first opportunity to hear them in action. A limited number of tickets is still available at $20 for members of the CanadaPLUS Club and $25 for non-members.  Call 6634-7351 or email carolspanama@gmail.com. You may view pictures of past events on facebook www.facebook.com/panamacarols

What a nice way to start your Christmas.