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Ancient Traditions: A Funeral And 9-Day Vigil In Panama

Paying Final Respects To Bocho

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
Dec 15, 2019
in Lifestyle, Panama
0
rosary panama

Image Source: iStock/ Maria Marganingsih

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The grandfather of a member of our staff who has become a friend at Los Islotes died earlier this month.

Dalys’ granddad, Bocho, was 80 years old. He lived his whole life in La Loma de Quebro on Panama’s western Azuero coast. He was a leader of his community, respected and loved.

“We are expecting 300 people to come to say good-bye,” Dalys told me, “from all over the country.”

Dalys explained that, after someone dies in this part of Panama, family and friends travel to the deceased’s home for a vigil that extends over nine days. The closest family members sleep in the house together.

“We leave all the doors and windows open all day and all night so everyone’s prayers can leave and so Bocho’s spirit can come and go. We believe that, during this time, the deceased is walking all around his house, inside and outside.

“The first night after the death,” Dalys explained, “a kind of altar is made with white cloth, white flowers, a rosary, and a cross. Some people place a photo of the dead person at the altar.

“The neighbors and relatives who come to support the family stay awake all night each night. One of them takes responsibility for leading the rosary.

“The day after the death, a funeral mass is held.

“Over all nine days, everyone gathered recites the rosary together. Each night when the rosary ends, the family shares bread, coffee, and tea with the people who came to pray. Then, again, everyone gathers around the altar and stays awake until dawn.

“On the ninth day, the entire group meets one final time in the house of the deceased. We slaughtered a cow to feed all the guests who came for Bocho.

“When night falls on the ninth day, we pray the rosary one final time, then the altar is dismantled little by little.

“We have a moment of silence while the spirit of the deceased walks for the last time before finally leaving.”

The cost of these ancient traditions is great. The family of the deceased is expected to feed everyone who gathers over the nine days.

Lief and I weren’t able to participate but were with Dalys and her family in spirit.

Kathleen Peddicord

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Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

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