Holidays in the Zone
Hello all, I hope everyone has had a great start to the holiday season. We are at the planning stage for the upcoming exhibit about food in the Canal Zone, and we still want your stories!
What was the importance of food relating to community identity during holidays in the Zone? Were there traditional meals unique to your experience living there, or was it similar to American traditions in the States? What would typically be on your dinner table for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc.? Please share your experiences in the comments!
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6 Comments
Scott Boykin
This is not a holiday specific thing, but when I was a kid at Fort Gulick, we went weekly to Mongolian beef night at the Officer’s Club and it was fun. The adults played bingo, and the food was good.
Scott Boykin
deepizzaguy
My memories of the holidays was seeing the buses in Balboa with Christmas decorations.
Dawn Bethea
This was in the early and mid 1970’s. I first had ceviche in the Canal
Zone. To this day, I love it. We used to eat at a Chinese restaurant in Curundu. There was a snack bar near the golf course at Fort Amador, where we used to eat after going swimming at the pool. I loved mangos and had a huge tree in my backyard. So much fresh fruit to be had. Holidays like Christmas were different but still just as wonderful. Being on a military base, someone would always dress up as Santa and there were parties.
Janice
Ask Frank Townsend for photos of Santa Claus Lane, Gavalin Rd, Balboa, Canal Zone.
His dad worked for the Maintenance Division & had the BEST – Santa dressed in a montuno paddling a cayuco! The other tradition was Bill Hollowell & his sleigh ride.
Steve Bailey
Janice, I am doing a story on Christmas in the Canal Zone and would love a coy of the photo you mentioned. How can I get in contact with Frank Townsend?
Sue Knapp Light
Oh my memories of living in the Canal Zone are far too wonderful to put on paper. I and my sister, Maggie Knapp, lived at the 15th Naval District along with other BHS’ers and living there and now realize how wonderful our lives were and what wonderful memories we have. Panama is a beautiful country and its people are gracious, friendly and such a wonderful culture to have had the experience of being a part of. Unfortunately my children left at such an early they don’t share those memories.