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Festivals of Goa
Goa has a multi-hued and distinctive lifestyle quite different from the rest of India. Hindu and Catholic communities make up almost the entire population with minority representation of Muslims and other religions. Christianity and Hinduism exist side by side in this state.

Irrespective of whether they are Catholic, Hindu or Muslim, all the communities have mutual respect towards one another and their secular outlook has given Goa a long and an unbroken tradition of religious harmony. The people of all faiths celebrate and enjoy the festivals of various religions such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Christmas, Easter and Id with gaiety and equal enthusiasm.

Other festival like Bonderam, Goa Carnival, Sao Joao Festival, Shigmotsav, St. Francis Day, etc. are celebrated with joy and great enthusiasm.
Festivals of Goa
 
Hindu Festivals
Goa has many festivals celebrated with majority of the population being Hindus. All these festivals do not occur on fixed dates since they are based on the Hindu calendar. Ganesh Chathurti, Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Dassra (Dussehra), Holi are some festivals celebrated.
Christian Festivals
Every village and town in Goa has its own church or chapel. All throughout the year, the annual feast of one church or the other is celebrated in Goa. Some of the feasts celebrated are Christmas, Easter and the Feast of St Francis Xavier where thousands of visitors come from all over the world.
Muslim Festivals
Muslims in Goa celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with great pomp and gaiety all over the state. Prayers are offered in mosques and Idgahs followed by exchanging of sweets with their brethren from other faiths. The Eid - ul – Zuha is another major festival celebrated with much splendor and vigor.
 
Dates of Fairs and Festivals
January
Feast Of Three Kings
On 6th January the feast of three kings is celebrated. In the villages of Reis Magos, Cansaulim and Chandor it is a great celebration.
 
Jatra
The Jatra is the feast of the God to whom the temple is dedicated. This festival is celebrated in most of the temples of importance.
 
Republic Day
On 26th January the Republic day marks the anniversary of India's republic in the year 1950.
 
February
Feast Of Our Lady Of Candelaria
On 2nd February at Pomburpa this popular Christian festival is held.
 
Pop, Beat & Jazz Music Festival
Held at the Kala Academy-Panaji over two days in February.
 
Urs Of Shah Abdullah
On this day of 17th February Muslims sing lyrical Muslim devotional songs called quawwalis, often sung through the night at Ponda. This day marks the death anniversary of saint Urs of Shah Abdullah.
 
March
Goa Carnival
Carnival in Goa is a festival of feasting-drinking-merrymaking orgy, color, song and music, providing an entertainment 3 days before lent. Carnival is one of the major attractions with huge parades organized with bands, floats, balls and dances in the evenings
 
Shigmotsav (shigmo)
Shigmo is linked to the lunar-based Hindu calendar and is celebrated one-week upto the full-moon day in March(Phalguna). Shigmo is a prominent festivals of the Hindu community in Goa.
 
Vasant Panchami Jatra
This hindu's festival is best celebrated at Shantadurga temple in Queula at Ponda, in Mangesh temple at Priol, in Mahalsa Temple at Mardol which are in Ponda. This is also celebrated in Ajoba Temple at Querim in Pernem and in Mahalaxmi Temple at Amone in Bicholim.
 
Mahashivratri Jatra
This festival celebrates the birth of Lord Shiva.
 
Ramanavami
Birth of Rama an incarnation of Vishnu is celebrated at the temple of Partagal in Canacona.
 
Good Friday/ Easter
Good Friday is a time of abstinence and holiness among Catholics. Its a day when Jesus Christ was crucified. And on Easter sunday Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
 
April
Procession Of All Saints
on 5th Monday in Lent. Thirty status of the saints are brought out from storage and paraded around the neighboring villages on 5th monday in lent.
 
Feast Of Jesus Of Nazareth
Held in Sindao on the first Sunday after Easter.
 
Feast Of Our Lady Of Miracles
This festival is held in Mapusa 16 days after Easter on a monday. This festival is celebrated by large numbers of Hindus and Christians.
 
Beach Bonanza & Youth Fleet
On Colva Beach live music, dancing and entertainment takes place on successive sundays from mid-April onwards and Youth Fleet takes place on the Calangute beach
 
Mahavir Jayanti
This festival is celebrated by the strictly vegetarian Jain community. It marks the birth of Mahavir, the founder of Jainism. Celebrated grandly at Borim in Ponda.
 
May
Igitun Chalne
Occurring in May this is one of the most distinctive festivals in Goa and is specific to the temple of Sirigao in Bicholim Taluka. Igituna Chalne literally means fire-walking and the high point of the festival which occurs at night when devotees of goddess Lairaya walk across a pit of burning coal to prove their devotion.
 
June
Festival Of St. Anthony
This festival is celebrated on 13th June. This is the celebration of the monsoon.
 
Sao Joao Festival
On 24th June Sao Joao, the feast of St. John the Baptist is observed all over Goa.
 
Feast Of Saint Peter & Saint Paul
On 29th June this feast is celebrated. It is another celebration of the monsoon.
 
Goa Statehood Day
May 30, 1987 Goa attained statehood and become the 25th state of Indian Union.
 
August
Bonderam Festival
This feast is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of August every year on the island of Divar.
 
Independence Day
On 15th August the anniversary of India's independence in 1947 is celebrated.
 
Feast Of St. Lawrence
This feast celebrates the end of monsoon and the reopening of the Mandovi to river traffic.
 
Gokul Ashtami
The celebration of Krishna's birthday.
 
Navidades
On 24th August the offering of the first sheaves of rice is given to the head of state.
 
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh festival is one packed with fun and frolic and commemorates the birth of Ganesh.
 
October
Gandhi Jayanti
On the 2nd of October the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
 
Diwali (Deepavali) (Dewali)
This is the festival of light and is celebrated to marks the victory of Good over Evil.
 
Fama Se Menino Jesus
On the second monday of october this feast celebrates the 'miraculous' favor granted by the Menino Jesus at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy in Colva.
 
Dussehra/Dharotsav
This festival begins on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashvina. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil which marks the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama. Dussehra also symbolises the triumph of warrior Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura.
 
November
Feast Of Our Lady Of The Rosary
This is celebrated on the 3rd Wednesday of November in Navelim's Church.
 
Food & Cultural Festival Of Goa
To focus on Goan cuisine with reference to seafood and entertainment, a five days festival is held on any of the beaches of Goa.
 
Tiatr Festival
This is held at Kala academy during November
 
Konkani/Marathi Drama Festival
These are held at Kala Academy during November and December.
 
December
St. Francis Day
The body of St Francis Xavier lies in the Church of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. This feast is celebrated on 3th december with processions and services from the day he died in 1552.
 
Feast Of Our Lady Of Immaculate Conception
This is held on the 8th of december in Pamjim and Margao.
 
Id-ul-Zuha (Bakr-Id)
This is a Muslim festival of sacrifice. On this day Muslims sacrifice a goat or Bakr (Urdu) to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, who willingly agreed to kill his son at the call of God.
 
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on 25th december which marks the nativity of Jesus Christ and is one of the important festivals in Christainity.
 
New Year's Eve
A celebration that takes place the whole night from the 31st december to mark the arrival to a new year.
 
 
Fairs and Festivals

Goa Carnival

Shigmo

St. Francis Xavier