Major Holidays in Goa

Goa is known for its colorful festivities and holiday celebrations. However, it is essential that one take note of all the major festivals and holidays in Goa while planning a trip to Goa. The celebrations in Goa are usually Christian in nature, due to strong Catholic influences.

January
1st- New Year's Day People in Goa warmly greet the new years day with cheer and celebrations all around. Since Christianity is a major religion there, it is celebrated with much hype and vigor.

26th- Republic Day of India
This day is declared as a National Holiday. Most businesses and public places remain closed on this day as a tribute to the Republic of India.

February
Mardi Gras Carnival This festival has been celebrated since the 18th century in February/March just before the Lent period of fasting. It is the most prominent and popular festival of Goa. Vast and grand processions with bands, floats and music and dances in the evenings are carried out all through the city.

March
Maha Shiva Ratri The festival of Maha Shiva Ratri has special significance in the Hindu religion. It is a festival dedicated to the mighty Lord Shiva. The people of Goa visit temples to give offerings to the lord in the form of milk, fruits, etc.

Holi
One of the most popular festivals of India, holi is the festival of colors. People irrespective of their religion celebrate this festival with lots of cheer and happiness. If you venture out this day, expect to be smeared with colorful powder and drenched in colored water.

The Festival of Shigmo
Each year around the month of March, the festival of Shigmo is celebrated in Goa. The streets of Panaji come alive in a demonstration that is so magnificent, it is said to outshine the fortitude of the Carnival. This festival is Goa's version of Holi (the Hindu Festival of Color). It is celebrated to mark the beginning of Spring.

April
Baisakhi
This festival is an important Hindu festival and is celebrated to mark the end of the harvest season.

Good Friday
Good Friday is celebrated with cheer and happiness amongst not only the Christians but also everyone alike.

May
Eid-ul-Milad
This festival is celebrated among the Muslim population residing in Goa to mark the birthday of the Prophet.

Buddha Purnima
This festival is celebrated to mark the birthday of Buddha amongst the Buddhist clan of Goa.

June
The festival of St John is celebrated all over Goa, though in the coastal villages of Arambol and Terekhol, it holds special importance. Youngsters torch straw effigies, on behalf of St John's baptism and mark the death of sin and also consume “feni”, their local alcoholic drink, to get wild.

August
Bonderam
The fourth Saturday of August marks the celebration main Bonderam festival is celebrated on. Though the festival of Bonderam is a Hindu festival, the morning begins with a big catholic mass engaged in the ceremony of cutting the first cluster of rice in the paddy fields. The parish priest, followed by the Feast Mass, ceremoniously does this. Colorful processions, floats and bands mark the celebrations.

August 15^th- Independence Day of India
Another national holiday, this day is celebrated all over Goa with pride, as it is the day when India gained independence from the British rule.

Ganesha Chaturthi
This day is celebrated to mark the birthday of the Hindu elephant God, Lord Ganesha. It is a major festival in Maharashtra and is celebrated with equal enthusiasm and passion in Goa.

October
2^nd – Gandhi Jayanti
This day is another important National Holiday as it marks the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

Dusshera
This is a nine-days long festival celebrated with much fervor and enthusiasm in the north of India among the Hindus and is celebrated with equal festivity in Goa.

Diwali/Deepawali
This festival of lights is celebrated all over India with extensive celebrations based on various beliefs.

November
19^th Guru Nanak Dev’s Birthday
This day is marked with peaceful demonstrations all over the country as it marks the birthday of the Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev. The day starts with peaceful prayers and free distribution of food in some parts of the country.

December
25^th – Christmas/X-Mas
The festival of Christmas in Goa is celebrated with much fervor and excitement as Christianity and Catholics influence most of the population. The whole of Goa is decorated beautifully and the churches are full of people in the celebration mood.