Culture of Goan Catholics

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The Culture of Goan Catholics is a blend of Portugese and Indian cultures. After the Portuguese arrived Goa in 1510, they adopted the Portuguese culture but retained their Hindu caste system and few other customs and traditions.

Cuisine

Main article: Goan Catholic cuisine
Fish curry and rice, the staple food of Goa.
Bebinca with ice-cream

Their curry uses a lot of coconut and curry leaves while Ginger, garlic and chilli are also used. Their cuisine has large Goan, Portugese, South Indian and even Britishinfluences. Rice with fish curry (Xit kodi in Konkani) is the staple diet of the community. Popular fish dishes include Goan Fish curry, Goan Prawn curry and Banguda (Mackerel) fish cutlets. Canja de galinha, a type of chicken broth with rice and chicken, is a well known chicken dish. Pork dishes such as Vindaloo, Xacuti (Shacuti)and Sorpotel are cooked for major occasions among the community. Chamuças is a Goan derivative of samosa, which is usually filled with beef or pork and generally quite hot, is popular among the community.[1] Among vegetarian dishes, an exotic Goan vegetable stew, known as Khatkhate, is a very popular dish which contains at least five vegetables, fresh coconut, and special Goan spices that add to the aroma. A popular curry, the Soluntule kodi, is a spicy coconut and kokum curry, either prepared with fish or meat. Pattoes, a dish of saffron leaves stuffed with rice, dal, jaggery and coconut is very popular. The Podecho and Sanna are usually eaten with jaggery and are considered to be Goan variants of dosa and idli respectively. The Pez made of soaked rice, water and salt, is a Goan variation of Kanji, that is usually eaten during breakfast.[2][3] The Kuswad refers to the various sweets delicaces prepared for Christmas by the community like Kalkals, Perad and Neoryos. A rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish known as bebinca is a favourite at Christmas and is part of the Kuswad. Sweets like Doce, Pinarg, Bolinhos and Dodol are also well known. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni ; Cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms. [4]

Names and surnames

Main article: Goan Catholics names and surnames

Bilingual names, having variants in both Konkani and English, like Pedru (Peter) and Mâri (Mary) are common among Goan Catholics. Another popular naming convention uses English names, like Kevin, Kenneth and Sanferd, that have no Konkani variants. European names such as Savio, Mario and Andrea are popular and so are Indian names like Sandeep, Rahul and Anita. Portuguese surnames like Rodrigues and Carvalho, are used abundantly among Goan Catholics due to the former Portuguese colonationization of Goa. Some Goan Catholics still have records of their original Goud Saraswat Brahmin surnames such as Prabhu, Kamat, Pai, and Shenoy.[5]

Goan Catholic variant English variant Meaning Sex
Lorso Lawrence Somone from Laurentum Male
Bawthi Baptist One who baptizes Male
Paullu Paul Small Male
Pedru Peter Stone Male
Niku Nicholas Victory of the people Male
Šila Sylvester Wooded Male
Zuãuñ John God is gracious Male
Zoze Joseph The Lord will add Male
Source: English-konkani Dictionary[6]

Language and literature

Main articles: Konkani language and Literature of Goan Catholics
File:A Description in Konkani.jpg
Cover of the book A Description in Konkani by Matthew Almeida

Goan Catholics have strong feelings towards the Konkani language. This love and affection for their language can be seen when most of the Goans united and fought for Konkani as their mother tongue. They speak a dialect of Konkani, known as Goan Konkani, which the Ethnologue identifies as the Goanese dialect.[7] Like most Konkani dialects, the Goan dialect is a unique identifier of the community. Many Portuguese words have entered in the Goan lexicon due to the influence of the Portuguese. This is also true for the Goan Hindus. With the Kannada Kadambas ruling Goa and its close proximity to Maharashtra a lot of Kannada and Marathi words have been incorporated. The community with its trade links with the Arabs and Persians have also incorporated many Arabic and Persian words into their vocabulary.[8][9] Devanagari script is the offical script for Goan Konkani, although the Roman script is quite popular among Goan Catholics. Today Goan Catholics have all strata of the society conversing in English and in fact taking pride in the same. Goan Catholics do have the elite people who do continue speaking Portuguese. Goan Catholics have another set of people who are pursuing this language just for the love for it.

The first book in Konkani and any Indian language was Dovtrina Christam em Lingoa Bramana Canarim (Christian Doctrines in the Canarese Brahmin Language), published by the English Jesuit Thomas Stephens in 1622 in Goa.[10][11]

The origin of literature dates back to 1563 when the first Konkani grammar was published in by a Fr.Andre Vaz, Goan priest at St. Paulo College at Old Goa.[12]In 1989, Fr.Matthew S.J., published a linguistic grammar book named A Description in Konkani,[13] explaining the phonology, morphology and syntax of the Konkani language of Goa and its surrounding districts. Popular forms of their literature include, the TSKK Konkani Basic Course by Matthew Almeida, S.J. (1991), is a course book for beginners to learn Konkani. Fr.Moreno de Souza published a book, Tisvaddecheo Igorzo,(1994) that gives a panoramic view of the churches of Tiswadi or Ilhas. The TSKK Linguistic Glossary: English-Konkani and Konkani-English dictionary by Matthew Almeida, S.J. and Pratap Naik, S.J.,(1994) are some examples of their literature. The Sonvsarak Jezu Diat by Vasco do Rego, S.J.(1995), contains sermons preached by St.Francis Xavier at Basilica of Bom Jesus.[14] Other forms of their literature include Lambert Mascarenhas' Sorrowing Lies My Land and Fernando de Noronha's Nostalgic Memories of the Past.[15]

Traditions and festivals

Goa Carnival
File:Carnival of Goa.jpg
Goa Carnival

Although the Catholics in Goa have been deeply influenced by the Western culture, they have retained their Hindu caste system and a few customs common to both Christians and Hindus particularly regarding marriage.[16][17] Due to the Portuguese rule, they have adopted both Indian and Western traditions. The Ross (anointing) ceremony, conducted one or two days before a wedding, involves the parents' blessing of the bride and groom, who are anointed with coconut milk. Later, it is followed by the traditional Catholic wedding mass and finally the wedding. The tradition Of Ovi (wedding songs) which are sung by women during a the wedding is a unique tradition among Goan Catholics.[18]The tradition of the burning of the old man happens every year on the 31st of December. Village boys make an old man by stuffing old clothes with hay and set up roadblocks to ask people for monetary help for their ailing old man. The old man is then customarily burnt at midnight and the money collected is used for a new year party.

In addition to the common Christian festivals like Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, the community celebrates many other festivals which have both religious and historical significance. Christmas is celebrated uniquely in Goa, with children going house to house singing Christmas carols and collecting money for the Christmas party. The Zagor (nocturnal vigil in Konkani), which is mainly celebrated in the Siolim village of the Bardez taluk of Goa is actually a dance-drama that starts out with a processions of Hindus and Christians from their villages, which converges onto the zagor site with exuberant singing and dancing from either side.[19][20] Monti Fest is one of the major festivals, mainly celebrated in Chinchinim, Goa on 8 September, which celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Another important festival is the San Jao fest (Feast of St.John the Baptist) which is Goa's moonsoon festival along with the feast of St. Peter. The Procession of Saints is an annual religious procession led from the St.Andrews Church, Goa Velha. The procession, held on the first Sunday of the New Year of the Gregorian calendar.[21] Other important festivals include of Mae de Deus Church at Saligao , Feast of Passion of Christ at Siridao, Feast of Holy Cross at Aldona, Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Feast of the Holy Spirit Church, at Margao, Bondera at Divar[22]and Sangodd at Cumbharjua.[23][24]

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Navelim, Goa is another Goan Catholic festival. It is held annually on the third Wednesday of November.[25]Our lady of Assumption feast, Sarzora, Goa which is celebrated on the 15th of August and later on it is celebrated again on the last Sunday of October.[26] The Goa Carnival is one of the biggest feasts of Goan Catholics in Goa. Carnival in Goa is a 4 days festival of color, song and music, providing a healthy entertainment for all, young and old. The soothing climate, full of fun- 'n' -frolic, which the Carnival generates, is much longed for. There is enthusiasm and happiness all around.[27] The Goa Carnival is one of the best festival of Goan Catholics in Goa. The Carnival in Goa is a 4 days festival of color, song and music, providing a healthy entertainment for all, young and old. [28]

Historical Society

In Goa, mass conversions were carried out by Portuguese missionaries from the 16th century onwards. The Goan Catholics retained their caste practices. The continued maintenance of the caste system among the Christians in Goa is attributed to the nature of mass conversions of entire villages, as a result of which existing social stratification was not affected. The Portuguese colonists, even during the Goa Inquisition, did not do anything to change the caste system. Thus, the original Hindu Brahmins in Goa now became Christian "Bamonn's" and the Kshatriya became Christian noblemen called "Chardos". The Christian clergy became almost exclusively Bamonn. Vaishya who converted to Christianity became "Gauddo's", and Shudras became "Sudir's". Finally, the Dalit or "Untouchables" who converted to Christianity became "Maharas" and "Chamars".[29]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Chamuças". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  2. ^ "Goa Cuisine". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  3. ^ "Cuisine of Goa". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  4. ^ "Feni". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  5. ^ "Ethnicity and surnames of the people of Goa". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  6. ^ Maffei 2001, p. 541
  7. ^ "Ethnologue report for Konkani, Goanese (ISO 639-3: gom)". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  8. ^ Asiatic Society of Bombay, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland Bombay Branch 1853, p. 300
  9. ^ "Konkani_words_from_other_languages". Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  10. ^ "The Konkanis". Department of Theoretical Physics (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research). Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  11. ^ "Vavraddeancho Ixxt". Retrieved 2008-09-07.
  12. ^ "Konkani Language and Literature". Goa Konkani Akademi. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  13. ^ A Description in Konkani 1989, p. [1]
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference GRN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Saradesāya 2000, p. 254
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sak was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "Goan Catholic traditions and customs". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  18. ^ "Goa Music". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  19. ^ "Siolim Zagor: An example of communial harmony". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  20. ^ "Zagor". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  21. ^ "Procession of trhe saints at Goa Velha". Retrieved 2008-09-11. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  22. ^ "Bonderam festival". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  23. ^ "Chinchinim Feast". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  24. ^ "Goan Catholic Festivals". Sanferd Rodrigues. 2008-09-04. Retrieved 2008-09-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Navelim fest". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  26. ^ "Sarzora". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  27. ^ "Goa Carnival". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  28. ^ "Goa Carnival". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  29. ^ Bryn Thomas & &Paul Harding, p. 24

References

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