Goa celebrates “Sao joao” on June 24

Goa begins preparation to celebrate sao joao. The state tourism department has begun marketing the event to attract maximum tourists.

Feast of st John the Baptist or sao joao is celebrated on June 24 every year. This celebration brings a lot of fun and enjoyment. Sao joao’s celebration has continued for about 175 years now and associated with it is the feast of st John the Baptist’s interesting legend. As per the holy bible’s story, the feast originated when mother Mary, who was bearing Jesus then, visited Elizabeth, st  John the baptist’s mother while he was in his mother’s womb. This occasion made him bound with joy. In river Jordan later, Jesus Christ was christened by st John the Baptist. Sao joao  is mostly celebrated in north goa.

The carnival atmosphere adds to the charm of the monsoons where goans deck up in colourful costumes, wear fruit and flower laden wreaths called “KOPEL” on their heads, move in processions and last but not the least, splash into wells overflowing with rain water.Hence Sao joao marks the event of “the leap of joy” where young men and boys jump into wells and water bodies shouting “Viva Sao joao”, the department said. The sao joao celebrations begins from sunrise to sunset and is filled with music, dance, food, fruits, goan beverages and a lot more. A lot of gifts are left at the bottom of the wells for the young men and boys take the plunge, it adds.