The Catholic Church usually celebrates saints’ feast days on the anniversaries of their deaths ” seen as their birth into eternal life. But the Nativity of St John the Baptist, marked on 24 June, is a rare exception. This feast remembers his birth, blessed by the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth, when John is said to have leapt in her womb on recognising Jesus. Sadly, this beautiful Bible moment has changed into something far from its spiritual roots. The symbolic “leap of joy” has become a literal ” and sometimes dangerous ” act, with people jumping into wells, rivers, and ponds, often after drinking too much. While deaths are rare, the risk is real and needless.
Worse still, the nature of the celebration has changed. What should be a thoughtful day remembering a saint’s life and mission has, in many places, turned into a loud carnival. Wearing floral crowns, shouting traditional lines like “São João bhaint podla saiba, São João patole magota”, and sharing coconuts and seasonal fruits like jackfruit and patoleo once showed simple, shared joy. Alcohol and wild parties were never part of it. But today, the Government uses the feast to attract tourists ” with boat cruises, rain dances, and loud parades. Sadly, many Catholics join in this loss of meaning, choosing show over faith. We must ask ourselves: where is the spiritual side in all this? Where is the reminder of St John’s deep faith, his baptising of Jesus, and his martyrdom under Herod?
In the past, authorities made rules to stop vulgar acts during Carnival, to keep dignity in public celebrations. The Church now needs to do the same ” to guide people back and protect São João from being turned into just another party. Some well-meaning priests may encourage these big celebrations, hoping to bring people together, but this risks disrespecting the very values that St John gave his life for. His beheading ” a sad end to a life of service and truth ” should make us pause and reflect, not dance and drink. As a community, let us go back to the true spirit of this feast. Let us honour São João not with noise and show, but with prayer, thankfulness, and the faith he lived and died for.
