Enjoy The Festivity Of Novidade Festival In Goa

When it comes to enjoyment Goans live up to the most. The celebrations in Goa are praiseworthy because the festivals here are celebrated irrespective of religious or caste barriers. Panjim and Margao are biggest celebration destinations in Goa. Apart from the traditional festivals and events in Goa, there are numerous feasts that are colorful, quaint, and enchanting local events. There is a patron saint of each Goa village and has his own feast day.

Amongst the prominent festivals in Goa, Novidade is celebrated with equal jauntiness and enthusiasm by both Christians and Hindus in Goa. The festival sets the start of the harvesting season. The Christian and Christian farmers offer their first rice crop to the church. Thereafter, the farmers proceed with further harvesting.

Celebrations

At the time of Novidade festival, the parish priest plays the harvester’s role and offers the harvested bunch of rice before the altar of the Almighty. This ritual is considered very auspicious amidst the farmers in Goa and thus, they wait for the Novidade traditional ceremony prior to start the further harvesting of their respective fields.

The church’s priest is followed from the fields, on his way back to the church. During the auspicious procession, the locals enjoy and also excitedly sing melodious songs and hymns in unison. Later, during the carnival, one can witness sparkling fireworks in the sky.

The women of earliest tribal settlers of Goa perform ‘Bhandup’ folk dance. This elegant dance is performed in the month’s second half.

Time for Celebration

The Novidade festival is celebrated with religious permissiveness and integrity in the months of August and September. As per the Hindu calendar, the Novidade festival in Goa is celebrated in the month of Bhadra-Pada.