Goa is home to varying celebrations that
have origins in various parts of the world, largely owing to its diverse base
of residents that have roots in various parts of the world. Halloween is a
prime example of this theory, and though the population of its natives is far
less in the state, Ireland’s holiday of St Patrick’s Day is slowly gaining
popularity in the state.
Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of
Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17 every
year, as it is the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the
foremost patron saint of Ireland. It was made an official Christian feast day
in the early 17th century and commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of
Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish
in general. These celebrations generally involve public parades and
festivals, cèilidhs, and the
wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Historically, the Lenten restrictions on
eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which encouraged and
propagated the holiday’s tradition of alcohol consumption. It is also widely
celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain,
Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. Today, Saint
Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.
Sinead McManus, a public relations
entrepreneur, is one such example of an Irish native in Goa. “St Patrick’s Day,
for me, has dual significance as it is also my mother’s birthday. Last year I
was fortunate enough to be in Ireland, to be a part of the celebrations there.
In Goa, we used to always celebrate at a venue by the beach, which has since shut
down. However, after that, we moved the same party to my home, which, for the
occasion, is always bedecked in the country’s colours,” she says, describing
the way she celebrates the holiday.
Over in the sleepy village of Loutolim,
Carole and Norman Steen run a homestay of much repute, known as Casa Susegad.
Norman is of Irish origin, and epitomises Irish spirit, as does his better
half, Carole, through their affinity for love and peace. The couple would put
together an event on the occasion of St Patrick’s Day in years gone by. Carole
shares a few details, speaking on their past forays into organising the event.
“I think that there are so many
similarities between the Goans and the Irish people, the love for the good
times, for starters. We used to have St Patrick’s Day parties on a more regular
basis, but the large chunk of our clientele come to us for peace and quiet. As
such, we can’t disturb their peace in order to host the event. However, when we
have a group that is up for the merriment, we always put together the bash.
It’s been a little while since we had the last one. However, the last time we
did, it served as a fundraiser for the Goa Animal Welfare Trust, and we worked
with food coloured to represent the flag of Ireland, which is nice, because the
colours coincide with that of the Indian flag too,” Carole says.
In recent years,
there has been criticism of Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations for having become
too commercialised and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish.
However, in Goa, where there is a genial level of acceptance for cultures at
large, this will not matter, and the celebrations will go on, in full swing.
