Editing Carnival (section)

====Panama====
[[File:Calle Arriba versus Calle Abajo 05.jpg|thumb|Two Queens, representing Calle Arriba and Calle Abajo, standing on a float]]
[[File:Carnaval20150215.jpeg|thumb|A culeco]]
Traditionally beginning on Friday and ending on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, "los Carnavales", as [[Panama]]nians refer to the days of Carnival, are celebrated across the country. Carnival Week is especially popular in the sleepy town of [[Las Tablas, Los Santos|Las Tablas]]. The population multiplies because of the opulent Carnival celebrations. Carnival celebrations in [[Panama City]] and almost all of the [[Azuero Peninsula]] are popular tourist attractions. Penonomé features a parade on the Rio Zarati as a unique Carnival event.

The Panamanian Carnival is also popular because of the concerts featuring popular artists in the most visited areas. Concerts are often carried out during the night, and continue until the next morning.

Carnival Week is a national holiday in Panama, with most businesses and government offices remaining closed during its duration, and with most Panamanians opting to go to the country's rural areas to participate on the Carnivals and visit their relatives.

Carnivals in Panama also feature large repurposed fuel trucks that are used for soaking attendees through the use of firehoses that are controlled and directed by one or more people that stand in a platform that is mounted on top of the truck. This is known as "culecos" or "los culecos". Trucks get their water from nearby, government-approved rivers, and the water is tested for cleanliness before use. Culecos are often performed from 10 am to 3 pm, when the sun is at its brightest. Children and pregnant women are banned from participating in the culecos, and the trucks are always sponsored by a well-known Panamanian company or brand. The culecos are also often accompanied by reggaeton concerts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ensegundos.com.pa/2018/02/08/prohiben-ingreso-de-embarazadas-y-ninos-a-culecos/ |title=Prohíben ingreso de embarazadas y niños a culecos – en Segundos Panamá |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220111303/https://ensegundos.com.pa/2018/02/08/prohiben-ingreso-de-embarazadas-y-ninos-a-culecos/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/170214/diez-seran-manana-culecos |title=Culecos serán de diez de la mañana hasta las tres de la tarde |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220111113/https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/170214/diez-seran-manana-culecos |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/2018/02/05/minsa-verificacion-cisternas-participaran-carnavales/1190582.html |title=Minsa hará doble verificación de cisternas que participarán de culecos en carnavales &#124; Telemetro |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220105636/https://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/2018/02/05/minsa-verificacion-cisternas-participaran-carnavales/1190582.html |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ensegundos.com.pa/2017/02/25/miambiente-supervisa-carga-de-agua-a-carros-cisternas-para-los-culecos/ |title=MiAmbiente supervisa carga de agua a carros cisternas para los "culecos" – en Segundos Panamá |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220105638/https://ensegundos.com.pa/2017/02/25/miambiente-supervisa-carga-de-agua-a-carros-cisternas-para-los-culecos/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The open consumption of large amounts of cold, [[low-alcohol beer]] or [[Smirnoff]], stored in ice-filled coolers, is common among attendees. Just like in Rio de Janeiro, some carnivals also feature floats, but they may have young women with elaborate costumes that stand as the "Queens" of "Calle Arriba" and "Calle Abajo", representing rich and working-class people, respectively. The queens are chosen through a contest and announced on October of the previous year, and are replaced every year. The queens are introduced on the first carnival day, and are always accompanied by a music band, who are present whenever the queens are present. Fireworks are launched on the last carnival night, to signal the end of the carnival.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.amazing-holland.nl/assets/carnaval_english.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428054119/http://www.amazing-holland.nl/assets/carnaval_english.pdf |archive-date=28 April 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>