São João is a traditional Goan festival celebrated in honour of St. John the Baptist, on June 24 every year. It is a vibrant celebration where people jump into wells, streams or ponds, accompanied by music, food, and dance. It’s a unique cultural experience in Goa, blending Christian traditions with local customs, making it a joyful and lively festival for locals and tourists alike
The nativity of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated annually worldwide with great pomp and fervor. Goa being unique in all aspects, celebrates the saint in a unique manner as well. Saint John the Baptist is remembered as a prophet, the forerunner of Christ and the man who baptized Jesus. He was known for calling people to turn away from sin and to recognize Christ for who He was. Scriptures mention that when Mary visited her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, the Infant in Her womb leaped. When it began raining, there were floods that were predicted in advance. Elders would often say that May 03 was Vôl (meaning slight moisture in the soil) and June 13 was ‘Pául bhor udok’ (meaning ankle level water in fields). There were also three floods foreseen. The first of which was to be on June 24 i.e. the feast of São João.
Here in Goa, the feast is locally known as ‘Zanvoiamchem fest’ meaning, the son in-law’s feast. On this day, the newly married son in-law receives an invite for lunch from his mother in-law. The young man is warmly welcomed into the house with fire crackers being lit. On entering the house, standing right in front of the oratory, the family members would sing the litany of all saints in Latin, followed by hymns honoring Saint John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary and other saints (statues of whom were in the oratory). After the litany was prayed, celebration began.
Special dishes prepared on this day included ‘Sanna’ (a steamed rice cake fermented with coconut palm toddy), ‘Vindalho de Porco’, Steamed Rice, ‘Verdur’ (Pumpkin cooked in coconut milk, spices and shrimps). After lunch it was time for dessert. ‘Patolli’ was the only dessert served (the ‘Patolli’ is an indigenous Konkan delicacy which is something like a dumpling stuffed with grated coconut, palm jiggery and wrapped with fresh turmeric/Plumeria leaves). The ‘Patolleo’ are steamed in a copper or terracotta steaming utensil called ‘Copro’. On enjoying the dessert, the family would engage in a chat waiting to welcome groups of youth visiting them, singing songs of celebration honoring St. John, hitting stumps of coconut palm on the floor announcing their arrival as they walked. The tradition observed in various regions across Goa, on this day involved the setting up a ‘Judeu’ (meaning jew) or a Māru (meaning devil), which was an effigy made of dry materials like paper and hay and decorated with dry mango or jackfruit leaves, that was carried from house to house by young boys, and ultimately burnt to ashes outside a local village cross or chapel.
Unlike today, traditionally only male members of villages would participate in this festive practice of visiting all the families in their respective village. The rain would add to the fun and fervor. As they walked down the lanes of their village, visiting people, they would sing songs of celebration, honoring São João which were generally accompanied by the ‘Ghumott’ (a percussion instrument from Goa), and the ‘Kansallem’ (another Goan percussion instrument, comprising of a large copper, bronze or brass cymbal ). Everyone would be wearing colourful headgears made from a seasonal creeper called ‘São Joãoanchi vall’, bearing tiny red flowers. This is probably an Indian indigenous influence representing our close bond with nature. There was never a dress code with a particular colour theme, used by the boys engaging in the door-to-door visit, like seen in today’s times.
On their visit, people would offer them gifts in the form of Alcohol, ‘Patolleo’, fruits like Jackfruits, Pineapples, bananas, ‘Sannana’ etc. Towards the end of their visits, all the boys would assemble at village cross and pray the litany in honor of Saint John the Baptist. All the gifts offered were then distributed amongst the men gathered. A Portuguese oração (prayer) was generally sung at the end of the litany. This prayer was the same one chanted at the church and taught by the church mestre (music master). It is as follows ‘Ó glorioso Senhor São João- Rogai a, rogai a, rogai a Jesus por nós’.
No sooner the litany ends, all the boys head to a local village well/private well or a lake to jump into the chilly water, enjoying to their heart’s content. The said practice of jumping into water bodies is not encouraged by the Catholic Church, but was carried out to imitate the leaping of São João in the womb of Elizabeth.
“Boys would initially be enthusiastic about jumping into the well, but hesitated as the celebrations progressed. This was because as time progressed, the wells transformed into pools of diluted pee”, mentions Antonio Miranda from Margão with a smile.
In the evening, on the same day, the son in-law returns back home with an ‘ojem’ (a bamboo basket with guddies), offered to him by his mother in-law. The ‘ojem’ is filled with stuff like Jackfruits, Bananas, Pineapples and sweets like Patolleo , muttleo, filos and mandos. On returning home, the ‘ojem’ is then placed at the oratory of his house, a short prayer is then recited and the food is there after distributed in his village. This custom signifies that the bond of matrimony is not just between two individuals but between two villages at large.
Across the state of Goa, one will find São João celebrations happening domestically all around. The feast is however celebrated with great pomp and fervor in places like Siolim, Anjuna, Benaulim, Assolna and Pilerne. However, over the years, pool parties and private São João celebrations in resorts and those sponsored by local politicians have resulted in commercialization of the festival thus making it a “complete package of merriment and joy” for tourists.