People, Culture and Festivals

The state of Goa is abundant and rich in people, culture and festivals. Being an immensely multi-cultural state, its festivals and people are numerous and various.

People: The people of Goa are very friendly, relaxed and extremely happy-go-lucky. The afternoon siesta is an important feature of life in Goa; in accordance with it shops down their shutters from one to four. People of Goa belong to different faiths and come from different cultural backgrounds. However, they all lay emphasis on good living.

Culture: Having had a multicultural past, the people, culture and festivals of Goa have been accordingly affected. The Portuguese were great church builders, their desire to spread their faith an important motivation. However, the early Hindu and Muslim settlers were nonetheless eager to populate the land with their descendents. So, what you see in modern-day Gao is a direct result of their urge. And much as the image evoked by Goa is the picture of its lush and luxurious beaches, the inhabitants of Goa are very religious-minded and conscious of their ethnicity.

Goan Food too forms an important part of the culture of Goa. Goa boasts of many different cuisines - the Konkan, the Portuguese and the Bahamani Nawabi traditions. Sea-food and rice, however, is a common feature with all these categories. Goa is abundant in different types of fish, the chief being, prawns, mussels, oysters and crabs.

Festivals: Goa is a medley of people, culture and festivals. So, all the major religious festivals of India are celebrated in Goa. In any case, fairs, fetes, fests, feasts and festivals are quite a regular feature of Goan life. Celebration is an integral part of Goan life; and not to miss out, they also have a day to commemorate the very idea of fun andfestivity.