JERRY FERNANDES, Saligao
The annual feast of St John the Baptist was celebrated on June 24 as usual with a lot of pomp and gaiety in different parts of Goa. 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.
However, nowhere is it mentioned in the Bible that he ever consumed alcohol and went jumping into wells/swimming pools or partying/dancing around in the rain to amplified DJ/loud dance music with his friends whilst preaching the word of God.
Unfortunately, some people are seen annually maligning his name today by following the wrong practices/traditions of their ancestors on his feast day by taking out small carnival-type processions holding cashew feni/branded alcohol bottles, beer bottles/cans, wearing fancy clothes/'kopels' in villages, consuming alcohol, jumping into wells/swimming pools and partying/dancing to loud blaring disco music whilst celebrating the annual Sao Joao festival in different parts of Goa.
Of course, they say that the reason why they keep jumping into wells/swimming pools, dancing to music and celebrating this festival on the feast day of St John the Baptist in such a style is because they claim that the great saint had leaped in his mother Elizabeth's womb after hearing Mary's greeting on this particular day. Well, all that is fine. But my only question is: why can't these people enjoy this festival without consuming alcohol whilst partying/dancing/jumping into wells/swimming pools and celebrate the great feast of St John the Baptist in a more civilised manner in Goa? Can't they get up early in the morning and go for Mass on the feast day of St John the Baptist instead of indulging in their annual merry-making activities in Goa?
Well, the people who are maligning the saint's name every year by indulging in their own devilish merry-making activities on his feast day in the name of promoting some ancestral Goan traditions/customs (which don't even match the life and teachings of this great Saint at all) in different parts of the state need to seriously learn to celebrate the day in a more meaningful way by emulating his real lifestyle and understanding the significance and the true teachings of this great Saint in Goa. Hope better sense prevails...
