Goa has a unique blend of socio-religious culture. Being a predominantly Roman Catholic society, there are more Christian festivals in Goa. The Goanese calendar is marked by several feast days, thanksgiving, monsoon celebrations, and processions, and the temples and churches of Goa are unique in their celebration of these festivals.

Shigmotsav (Shigmo)
Every year around March the streets of Panjim come alive in a spectacle, which in recent years is said to surpass the spirit of the Carnival. Held during the full moon period which marks the beginning of spring, this festival is Goa's version of Holi (the Hindu Festival of Colour). Various village groups clad in their most colourful dresses set out with festive mood with multi-coloured cloths, torans, flags and column-like red spotted "Dwajas", beating drums and blowing flutes together at the village temples, dance in the temple court yard singing various folk songs to the beat of the drums. On the 5th day Rang Panchami comes and this is the real day of rejoicing when people throw 'Gulal' (coloured powder) at each other as a sign of full-hearted greeting.

Bonderam
The main Bonderam festival is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of August. Bonderam is listed as a Hindu festival yet the morning starts with a large catholic population engaged in the ritual of cutting the first sheaf of rice in the paddy fields. This is ceremoniously done by the parish priest, followed by the Feast Mass. The festival includes colourful processions, floats, brass bands and mock battles emulating the property wars that excited the tribal folk here in days of yore.