Fairs & Festivals of Goa

Goa Holidays India > Goa Tourism > Fairs & Festivals

Goa is famous for its feasts and festivals. The occasion may be a harvest, a change of season, and a sacred day in the calendar or the birthday of a saint. Goans seem to thrive on festivity. There are “Zatras”, temple festivals that give great scope for folk dances and folk dramas. Annual popular dances in villages (like the famous Festa de Leques Dance) besides the major festivals of Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi and Christmas. The annual St. Francia Xavier’s Feast draws together people of all walks of life and of all communities at the historic city of Old Goa in their thousands. The fire walking ceremony witnessed by huge crowd forms the highlight of the " Sirigao Zatra” annually. The Shigmo festival is a boisterous celebration heralding spring and is matched for colorfulness and merriment only by the Carnival – that memorable three-day bust-up of euphoric frenzy.

Here is a description of some of the principal festivals of Goa.

The major Christian Festivals are the Feast of Three Kings (Quelim, Chandor and Reis Magos), Procession of All Saints ( Goa Velha), Feast of Our Lady of Miracles (Mapusa), Sao Joao (all over Goa), Feast of Assumption of Our Lady (Panaji), Novidades (all over Goa), Fama de Minino Jesus ( Colva), Feast of St. Francis Xavier (Old Goa), Feast of the Lady of Immaculate Conception (Panaji, Margao) and Christmas.

The Muslim festivals include Idul Fitra and Muharam.

The most popular public festivals are Carnival, Shigmo and Food Festival

Hindu Festivals are Chovoth, Diwali, Gokulashtami, Holi, Lairai Jatra, Nagpanchami, Gudi Padwa, Raksha Bandhan, Ram Navmi, Vasco Saptah Other festivals like Dussehra, Diwali and Holi are the same as those celebrated around India but with the characterstic Goan flavour. The Goan Hindu community mainly celebrates Ganesh Chathurti, Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Dassra (Dussehra), Holi, Rakshabandhan, Ramnavmi and Krishnajanmashtami.

Please send us online enquiry: