What IS, “El Sereno”?

There is apparently a sinister force blanketing the evening sky in Panama. The terrifying phenomenon has a name: El Sereno.

A quick search through a couple of dictionaries will tell you that “Sereno” translates to serene, calm and night watchman. Many, many Panamanians will tell you that El Sereno is a mythical fog that hovers in the atmosphere at dusk. Don’t bother trying to catch a glimpse; you can’t actually see this feared force. But you may want to be careful going outside as darkness nears.

Most Panamanians adjust their daily habits to avoid El Sereno at all costs. Covering your head and those of your children (especially children!) if you must venture outside at dusk is usually a quite effective way to avoid the nasty, natural wonder. You may often hear a Panamanian say, “Cuidado con El Sereno” if you are about to step outside in the evening. Older Panamanians are especially willing to warn you.

After hearing a number of cautions about this terrifying, foggy beast I started to wonder what will actually happen to me if I venture outside, at dusk, without my head covered. The answers surprised me. Apparently El Sereno carries the vaporized form of bacteria and toxins. Anyone exposed to this concoction will most likely come down with the flu, or other nasty ailments. You must be especially careful of El Sereno if you have recently been ill, or even had a tooth pulled. In rare cases it is thought that El Sereno can lead to an untimely death. An English definition of this grave force can be found here.

Judging by the responses to this topic on the blog, El Sereno is feared in many Latin countries. This is an example of the English warning about the vicious El Lereno:

Occurs when someone steps outside suddenly at night and is sprinkled by a mysterious substance produced by the night air. There are no physical symptoms and it can only be detected by the Latin American elderly. The effect of having this disease is unknown. Children must not be taken out at night without proper headgear or risk of contamination is certain.

The El Sereno mystery and torment has evolved for generations. Some say the root of the legend stems from parents and grandparents not wanting the kids to be out roaming the streets after dark. Heck, what young child would want to go outside at night knowing that a mysterious fog could cause you to become fatally ill? Nowadays, El Sereno is used to instill fear in not only children, but adults as well.

If El Sereno is so dangerous, why doesn’t the Panamanian health ministry issue daily “Sereno levels”? Many people would probably find comfort in knowing that today the Sereno level is only a 3 out of a possible 10, therefore a sore throat would be the most common result. When the level reaches 10, the streets in this country would be empty!

You may want to keep your head covered at night in Panama, just to be on the safe side. You never know!

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Filed under: Culture, News on June 8th, 2008