Come June and all minds and eyes focus on the monsoon. But there is yet another event that takes centre stage – you may have guessed it, it is the Feast of St. John the Baptist, known as ‘Sao Joao Festival’.
St. John the Baptist is a very important saint in the Roman Catholic Calendar. He was a prophet who was born before Jesus, who went about preparing the way for coming of Jesus Christ, preaching repentance and baptising people in the river Jordan. He preached about the coming of Jesus whose sandals he said, he was not worthy to untie. He went on to baptise Jesus in the river Jordan.
The Sao Joao festival is celebrated annually on the 24th of June, six months before the birth of Jesus, with great gusto and enthusiasm in Mumbai as in Goa. The Goan Outreach Association is indeed one of the best when it comes to organising such celebrations.
‘Leap of Joy’, announced the flyer put out by the Goan Outreach Association while calling for celebration of the Feast of St. John the Baptist. These words are very significant and relates back to the time when Mary went to meet her cousin, Elizabeth who was six months pregnant, exclaimed, “when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy”, signifying that John was spiritually enlightened in his mothers womb.
So, here we are, celebrating that ‘Leap of Joy’, on the 23 of June at the sprawling Ferreira Farms Residency at a village called Manori across the sea in Mumbai. It’s a decade now, since the Goan Outreach Association has been holding these celebrations. They are also involved in charity missions as well.
The Goan Outreach Association were true to their word when they promised that this would be the ‘ultimate family outing’ with a splash in the pool, rain dance, games, prizes for Best Costume and for Best Kopel and interesting spot prizes. Of course, not forgetting the delicious breakfast and sumptuous meals.
The festival began with the band playing some lively music inducing people to shake their legs. A surprise item this year was the enactment of John baptising Jesus in the pool as in the river Jordan. It was indeed a beautiful sight, giving the celebrations a sacred touch. The dove released after the baptism as a sign of Love and Peace, was a sight to behold.
The Sao Joao festival is also a Thanksgiving celebration for newly weds and their families with babies born in the previous year. As per the Goan tradition, five couples were selected to walk up to the pool one by one and the husband is happily pushed into the pool.
It was the first time I have participated in the Sao Jao festival and, was I glad? You bet! By the way, there was a mingling of East Indians, Mangloreans among others at this festival. Interestingly, the celebrations were held in an East Indian village with an East Indian Band in attendance. That was perfect ‘fusion’ of various communities.
It was indeed a well executed event with a lot of hard work going into it. Teamwork was evident by the members of the Goan Outreach Association. On the whole, it was a grand, superb celebration, and promises to get better year after year, as the flyer said, ‘the ultimate family outing!’
