Conceptualised, filliped, and realised by Rene Barretto, World Goa Day (WGD) is meant to commemorate the anniversary of the inclusion of Konkani in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution by the Indian Parliament on August 20, 1992, when Konkani was recognised as one of the official languages of India.
It is that time of the year when most Goans and Goan associations the world over come together to celebrate an occasion that binds us with one common goal “ to celebrate our being Goan and our Goenkarponn. That day is virtually upon us and August 20 is just around the corner.
Depending on where one is and how each Global Goan Association decides to celebrate it, or how each one sees fit to express one’s self, one thing is for sure, we shall all do our best to celebrate this day under one common banner: “World Goa Day 2022.”
The ‘WGD’ celebration is the only global Goan event that reminds us of our identity as Goans. So, all hardworking and illustrious global Goan volunteers, members, and heads of Goan associations/organisations the world over have been invited to come forward and pledge their support to this common celebration with wholehearted cooperation to ensure that this 20th World Goa Day celebration is a great success.
The celebrations are intended for Goans worldwide to focus, take pride in, and celebrate their Goan culture, language, traditions, music, cuisine, and more wherever they may be on planet earth.
The first World Goa Day was celebrated on August 20, 2000, with the primary objective of uniting Goans from all over the world to a common celebration and show of solidarity. Though officially, August 20 was the set date, the occasion is celebrated the world over on or around this date.
This year, the WGD celebrations are expected to gain more momentum owing to a lull in celebrations for two years due to the Covid Pandemic. So, the WGD forum is making every effort to reach out to all Goans in every locale to come forward and unitedly organise a day of prayer, fun, sports, music, culture, dance, food, and drinks, to celebrate all things Goan and leave a legacy for posterity, sharing our knowledge by way of language, culture, food, dress, etc.
A legacy that has been passed down by our parents, elders, Goan community members, neighbours, or even friends. Every Goan is endowed with so much talent and knowledge. What better way to spread your fragrance than to share that talent with others and what better way to do it than on one universal day ie World Goa Day.
It is important to not only participate but also record every event and activity and share the links on the WGD Facebook page as well as the Global Goan Associations Group so that Goans all over the world can partake and share in the festivities virtually.
The theme at this World Goa Day is ‘Celebrating Our Global Goans’ and the objective is to promote within the wider Goan community our Goan identity, consider what being a Goan means, take pride in being Goan, and unite with Goans all over the world in solidarity to celebrate Goa’s history, language, music, cultural heritage and traditions.
Participation can range from an individual to family or families, Goan associations, Goan special-purpose groups (eg, youth groups, professional groups), village associations, Goan bars, and restaurants, Goan businesses, etc. All Goans are encouraged to celebrate World Goa Day and to invite their non-Goan friends to be part of the celebrations. For hotels and restaurants in Goa and the world over, a traditional Goan Food Festival week is proposed.
The location can be in one’s home, backyard, playground, picnic spots, reception halls, restaurants, villages/towns or at the beach. A meeting of two or more will constitute a gathering.
While World Goa Day can be celebrated any time during the year, August 20 onward will be the core month for worldwide WGD celebrations.
The WGD Global Facebook official page is at #World Goa Day Celebrations. This Facebook page will be the one-stop place for all publicity, including flyers and website links and after-events reports, pictures, and videos in addition to personal publicity channels.
[The writer is editor of ItsGoa.com]
