Heard all about Christmas in Goa? Want a piece of the plum pudding? Here’s how you can experience all the traditional festivities while you’re visiting, even if you’re a visiting tourist.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Singer Andy Williams is absolutely right, Christmas is one of Goa’s best seasons. As the year comes to a close, Goa puts on her fanciest clothes, decks up her houses and gardens with holly and lights, and gets ready to celebrate the most popular festival: Christmas. It’s a time for mulled wine and sweets, good food and presents, midnight Mass and dances, and celebrating with loved ones.
Here is a guide on how to celebrate Christmas in Goa.
12 days of Christmas
Christmas in Goa begins with Advent, which starts four Sundays before Christmas. Across Goa, homes dust out boxes and bring out the decorations. Each house’s decorations depend on the mood, the people and how much they have to celebrate in the year. Typically, the decorations include a tree (not a real one, though some do decorate the conical trees in their gardens) decorated with baubles, reindeer, stars, and buntings.
There’s a crib, which is a representation of the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger; a star to represent the star of East, which announced the birth of Jesus, and a wreath that represents eternal life (the four Sundays of Advent are depicted through four candles placed on it). The fronts of homes are lit up with lights and stars. Sometimes, the decorations extend to the street, too.
Insider tip: Walk around any of the villages in Goa, like Saligao, Moira, Cavelossim, Benaulim etc and areas like Fontainhas to see these decorations.
Away in a manger
The most significant part of the Christmas decorations is the crib, which reflects the Nativity scene. Every family typically makes its own crib, and it involves a lot of thought and creativity — growing the grass, using mud to build the manger, creating rivers and streams, and castles for the Three Kings. Some even do life-size versions, typically kept on display outside the house. Many villages have a crib (and star)-making competition, too.
Insider tip: South Goa has the most interesting life-size cribs on display. Otherwise, almost every church has a crib, which are usually outside, and open to visitors at all times.
Hark, the herald angels sing
Jingle Bells may be the most popular carol we hear during the season, but there are many more. These carols, in Konkani and/or English, are sung in church, during Mass, on FM, and streaming out of homes. Each church parish will have carollers who go around the community, singing carols outside people’s homes. This is also the season for choral concerts, which typically feature carols and Christmas songs.
Insider tip: Museum of Christian Art’s annual Christmas event, Carols on the Hill (on December 19 this year) will feature Christmas decorations, gifts and sweets, and choral performances by STUTI Choral Ensemble and Ektaal Children’s Choir.
Deck the halls
Christmas in Goa is also the season for new attire. Just ask your friendly neighbourhood tailor, whose work increases as the year ends. As Christmas in Goa coincides with the wedding season, it’s a time when people stitch new clothes. Readymade dresses are now a fashion, but once upon a time, they were all custom-made. Part of Christmas Mass — though no one will admit it — would be about looking at the latest styles and wondering who stitched them. For men, it means getting a new suit. It is a brave person who tries something different, like a kurta pajama.
Insider tip: A number of global fashion designers as well as local bespoke tailors abound. For example, Mac Doulani or Mac’s in Calangute is known for bepoke suits for men,whileD’ziners in Porvorim do elegant gowns.
Go tell it on the mountain
It’s a time for sweets! A big part of Christmas in Goa is making sweets. These colourful treats are then distributed among friends, family, and neighbours. Preparations for the sweets begin a year in advance (those who soak dried fruits in alcohol to use in the Christmas cake or pudding).
Other popular sweets prepared during this time are neuris, kulkuls, doce, pinag, jujubes, milk cream, marzipans and bathk — they typically contain coconut and jaggery, are fried or baked, and often involve a lot of stirring. These sweets can be found in local markets, too, and many people take orders for them through the month.
Insider tip: Mapusa, Panjim and Margao markets will have a host of stalls and people selling Christmas sweets.
It came upon a midnight clear
Christmas is one of two Catholic festivals — other than Easter — celebrated with midnight Mass. Service begins at 12, but is usually preceded by prayer and carols and sometimes, a skit. At the end of the Mass, bells joyfully announce that the day has begun. Everyone stays back after to play a game of housie, snack on coffee and cake, and wish each other.
The day itself is spent in sending out greetings to loved ones, visiting neighbours and friends, and exchanging (and eating) lots of sweets and good food. Some churches have a Christmas celebration in the evening, with Santa Claus, gifts, fancy dress and singing competitions.
Insider tip: The chapel inside Raj Bhavan (Governor’s residence), Our Lady of the Cape, hosts a midnight service (you have to call and reserve a seat).
Silver bells
Besides being the name of a popular carol, Silver Bells is also an event space in Goa that hosts a Christmas dance. Many wedding venues across the state have a formal dance either on Christmas Eve (the night of December 24 which people attend after Midnight Mass) or on December 25.
The entry to the dances is nominally priced, there is food and drink, and live music (from different bands) that goes on till early morn. The music is a mix of slow, ballroom numbers to faster, peppier ones, with some Hindi songs thrown in too. People typically hop between different dances, partying till early morning and then heading out for breakfast.
Insider tip: The most popular dances for Christmas in Goa are usually Silver Bells, and Emerald Lawns in the North, and Blueberry Hill and Quinta de Valadares in South Goa.
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