Soulful Reverie: A Goan All Soul's Day

All Soul’s Day is a day set aside for honoring the dead. The day has been mainly celebrated in the Catholic Church, but it is also celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and a few other denominations of Christianity. The Anglican Church is the largest protestant church to celebrate the holy day. Most protestant denominations do not recognize this day and disagree with the theology behind it.
Soulful Reverie: A Goan All Soul's Day
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According to Catholic belief, the soul of the dead can go to either one of these three places. The first is heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned. The intermediate option is purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, go.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the 1st of November is considered as ‘All saint’s day’ and the 2nd of November is considered as ‘All soul’s day’ (Family members decorate the graves of their loved ones at the cemetery on this day). “It is believed that at 3.00 pm on 1st November, souls of the ancestors descend onto earth, visit their loved ones, and return back to God by 12.00 pm on the 2nd of November. 

Hence from 3:00 pm of the 1st of November until 12:00 pm of 2nd of November, any catholic was permitted to ring the bell of the church or chapel (10 sets of 3 strokes each), as ringing of bells was considered to have indulgence”, mentions Mrs. Joyce Aguiar e Carvalho, a senior resident of Colvá, Goa.

The youth boys for fun sake would secretly hide people’s belongings. They would roam around their village secretly keeping scarecrows outside entrances of houses in their neighborhood or take away their belongings like shoes, clothes, utensils etc. and keep them at random places. Sometimes they would even steal vegetables from people’s backyards/fields. All of this was done in fun filled mischievous mood, not at all with the intent of hurting anyone. However, this practice was discouraged by the church
Joyce Aguiar e Carvalho

On this day, Catholics are required to recite several rosaries for the souls of their departed family members (Without reciting the mysteries and Gloria). Also on All soul’s day one is permitted to attend more than one mass and receive the Holy Communion more than once on that day. These two days are days of obligation in the Catholic Church (One has to compulsorily attend at least one mass).

A grand meal is prepared on the day dedicated to all souls. The meal includes pork, boiled rice, fried fish, prawn curry, pumpkin and sanna (steamed sweet idly). There is a tradition practiced among several families across Goa where food is placed outside one’s house, for the crow to come and eat it. The crow represented the departed family members.

On November 01, a sweet called ‘godshem’ (porridge prepared using coconut jaggry, coconut milk and gram or wheat) or ‘vonn’ was compulsorily prepared in every Catholic household. In some families it was customary to leave the pot containing the ‘godshem’, partially open with the ladle (dovlo) placed it. It was believed that departed souls from one’s family would eat from the partially open pot.

The Western celebration of All Soul’s Day is on the second day of November and follows All Saint’s Day, which commemorates the departed who have attained the beatific vision. If this day falls on a Sunday, the Mass is of All Souls, but the Office is that of the Sunday. However, Morning and Evening Prayer (Lauds and Vespers) for the Dead, in which the people participate, may be said. In pre-1969 calendars, which some still follow, and in the Anglican Communion, All Souls Day is transferred, to 3rd November if 2nd November falls on a Sunday.

On this day the clergy would traditionally wear black vestments which post 1965, have been replaced with purple during liturgical celebrations.

Fr Ávinash Rebello, Margão

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