Come June 24, all Goans will be seen wearing colourful Kopels (crowns made of flowers, fruits & vegetables), singing and dancing, along with jumping into wells, lakes, ponds or whatever water body they can find to celebrate the Festival of Sao Joao or the Feast of St. John The Baptist. The best part, with rains having drenched the state a bit by then and most Goans taking some downtime during the monsoon, it is truly a festival that is enjoyed by all in the state.
Jumping Into Wells Is The Only Way To Celebrate This Popular Goan Feast
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What Is It?
Who Is It For?
Anyone and everyone who loves the pomp, pageantry & madness of festivals will definitely want to attend this one. Though until recently was celebrated only by villagers in their respective localities, the last few years has seen a lot of visitors join in too. You could simply drive around Goa and catch various Sao Joao celebrations across the state, or head to Siolim, where the mother of all Sao Jaoa celebrations take place.
What's So Unique About It?
The fact that this festival is still very local and not commercial is why we love it. Add to this, the beautiful and outrageous kopels you will see all the smiling faces sporting…they simply add to the fun. Dancing in the rains, people playing ghumots, kansallem (traditional instruments), singing folk songs and like we said, jumping in to wells screaming Viva Sao Joao are the funnest moments of this fest. Of course, one cannot have a feast without eating & drinking, so feni & food are a large part of the celebrations, with locals making food (potluck style) for all who come to celebrate. But it is the delicious patoleo (a delicious steamed local sweet made for the occasion) that we eagerly look forward to.
In Conclusion
So if you are in Goa the weekend of June 24, we say give up your lazy Sunday and instead go exploring the villages of beautiful rain-drenched Goa to join in the celebrations. And if you are not looking to drive around, then just head to the Siolim Church where they do a grand parade of floats, boat races in the creek adjoining it as part of the celebrations and join the madness.