The holy Bible clearly tells us that St John the Baptist was a most holy man, who preached the baptism of repentance by water in the river Jordan, spoke about the imminent coming of Jesus Christ and who never consumed alcohol throughout his life. Unfortunately, some Goans are still seen following the wrong practices of their ancestors of consuming alcohol and jumping in wells/swimming pools to indulge in their annual merry-making activities in the name of celebrating the Sao Joao feast/festival throughout the state of Goa by giving their own silly justifications
They say that the reason why they keep jumping in wells/swimming pools on the feast day of St John the Baptist is because the great Saint had leaped in his mother Elizabeth's womb after hearing Mary's greetings on that day. I therefore think that the people who are maligning St John the Baptist's name every year by consuming alcohol and indulging in their annual merry-making activities on his feast day need to learn to celebrate the day in true spirit, understanding the significance and the underlying meaning of this celebration in Goa.
