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Culture of Goan Catholics
The Culture of Goan Catholics is a blend of Portuguese and Konkani cultures. Due to Portuguese rule lasting over 450 years, Goan Catholics adopted Portuguese culture but retained their Hindu caste system and few other customs and traditions. Contemporary Goan Catholic culture can be best described as an increasingly anglicised Luso-Konkani culture.
Cuisine[edit]
Goan curries use a lot of spices and vinegar. Fish curry and rice (Xit kodi in Konkani) forms the staple food of the community. Goan Catholic cuisine has distinct Portuguese influence as can be seen in Sorpotel, a pork dish often served with Sannas (idli fluffed with toddy or yeast) as the centerpiece at wedding dinners and Christmas dinner, while Pão com Chouriço (bread with Goan pork sausage), Chouriço Pulão (Goan pork sausage pilaf), Vindalho, Aad Maas (pork ribs), Assado de Leitão or Assado de Porco (roasted pork) and Carne Assada (roasted beef) are also popular. Goan Catholics mix pork blood and other organs in most of their pork delicacies as can be seen from Cabidela. Xacuti (pronounced Template:IPA-kok) is dish originally from Goa prepared with either mutton, beef, pork or chicken.[1] Canja de galinha and Frango à cafreal are well-known chicken dishes. Beef croquettes, beef potato chops and prawn rissoles are common snacks. Sliced roast beef and sliced beef tongue are popular entrees at Goan celebrations.
The traditional Nalachi kodi, (literally coconut curry) is a curry made with coconut juice. The Goan fish curries, prawn curry and fried fish preparations are renowned in the whole of coastal India. Solantulem kodi, a spicy coconut and kokum curry is also popular. Ambot-tik (a sour curry dish) and the Jeerem-Meerem (a spicy curry, which uses jeera and other spices) are prepared with either fish or meat. Chamuças is a Goan derivative of samosa, which is usually filled with minced beef or pork is a well-known snack.[2] The traditional Molho de Peixe (Fish pickle) and Balchão (prawn pickle), originally from Macau, are famous Goan fish preserves.
Vegetable-based dishes like Khatkhate (a vegetable stew), Tondak (beans combined with cashew nuts) and Caldo verde (a soup) are also popular. Sweets like Bebinca, Dodol, Tizann, Godshem, Patoleo, Cocada, Goiabada, Maçapão (cashew nut marzipan), Arroz doce, Fios de ovos, etc. are well-loved by Goan Catholics. Consoada is a term used to describe a set of sweets which are distributed to family, friends and neighbors by members of the Goan Catholic community during Christmas.
Names and surnames[edit]
Portuguese first names having variants in both Konkani and English, like Pedro (Peter) and Maria (Mary), are common among Goan Catholics. Other European names, such as Kevin and Shelley, are popular and so are Hindu names like Rahul and Anita.
Portuguese surnames, like Rodrigues and Carvalho, are used by Goan Catholics due to the Portuguese policy of changing the surnames of converts at the time of their baptism. Some Goan Catholics still have records of their original Goud Saraswat Brahmin surnames such as Prabhu, Kamat, Pai, and Shenoy.[3]
| Goan Catholic variant | English variant | Meaning | Sex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anton | Anthony | Flower | Male |
| Lorso | Lawrence | Someone from Laurentum | Male |
| Kenneth | Kenneth | Born of fire | Male |
| Pedru | Peter | Stone | Male |
| Nikel | Nicholas | Victory of the people | Male |
| Šilest | Sylvester | Wooded | Male |
| Zuãuñ | John | God is gracious | Male |
| Zoze | Joseph | The Lord will add | Male |
| Source: English-konkani Dictionary[4] |
Language and literature[edit]
Goan Catholics have strong feelings towards the Konkani language, which is often venerated in literature, and in particular to Romi Konkani. It has historically been, and to a large extent still is, central to the Goan Catholic identity. They speak Konkani, which is an Indo-Aryan language, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages, spoken predominantly on the west coast of India.
The Konkani spoken by Goan Catholics has a larger infusion of words of Portuguese origin as compared to the Konkani spoken by other communities. The number of Goan Catholics that can speak Portuguese is recovering due to Portuguese language being an optional language in Goan schools. An increasing numbers of Goan Catholics also speak English as their first language due to its replacement of Portuguese as an official language.
Traditions and festivals[edit]
Some Goan Catholics have retained certain Hindu customs regarding marriage.
- The soirik or the (betrothal)[5] and mudi (engagement) ceremony.[6] Hindu traditions that still persist include adorning the bride with the saddo (red dress or sari), which is to be worn on the first day after the marriage, it is also the name of the ceremony of cutting and sewing the dress[7]
- The chuddo (ceremony during which bangles are worn by the bride),[8][9]
- The ros (anointing) ceremony, conducted one or two days before the wedding, involves the parents, relatives and friends blessings on the bride and groom, who are anointed with coconut milk.[10]
- Bhuim jevonn (ritual meal in honour of the ancestors) or Bikariam che jevonn (meal for the poor/beggars),[11]
- Oupsoon (giving away the bride formally by the father or the guardian of the bride),
- Appoune (invitation to the bride's house).
These ceremonies are followed by the traditional Catholic wedding mass and finally the Wedding Reception. The women at a typical Goan Catholic wedding generally wear gowns/dresses while the men (including the bridegroom) are attired in western-style suits. The bride always wears a western-style virgin-white wedding gown. Contemporary Goan Catholics typically have a White wedding. The bridal entourage usually consists of the Maid of Honour, Bridesmaids, Best man and Groomsmen. Ballroom dancing and live western-style band music are an integral part of a Goan Catholic wedding reception.
In addition to common Christian festivals like Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, the community celebrates many other festivals of religious and historical significance. The Feast of Saint Francis Xavier on 3 December is the major religious feast of all Goan Catholics.[12] Konsachem fest (harvest festival) involves blessing of new harvests.[13] The Zagor (nocturnal vigil in Konkani), mainly celebrated in Siolim, in Bardez taluka of Goa is a festival highlighted by dance, drama and music.[14]
Moti Fest is another major festival, mainly celebrated in Chinchinim, Goa on 8 September, which celebrates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.[15] Other important religious feasts include Mãe de Deus Church at Saligao, Feast of Passion of Christ at Siridão, Feast of Holy Cross at Aldona, Feast of the Holy Spirit Church at Margão, Procession of Saints at Goa Velha, São João (Feast of St.John the Baptist), Feast of St. Peter, Bonderam at Divar and Sangodd (Feast of Saints Peter and Paul) at Cumbharjua.
Contrary to popular belief, Goa Carnival is a commercial festival in Goa. Its current form (King Momo, floats, etc.) was created only in 1965 to attract tourists.[16]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ "Goa Delights". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
- ↑ Sen 2004, p. 105
- ↑ "Ethnicity and surnames of the people of Goa". Retrieved 11 September 2008.
- ↑ Maffei 2001, p. 541
- ↑ Gomes 1987, p. 126
- ↑ Gomes 1987, p. 408
- ↑ Gomes 1987, p. 137
- ↑ da Silva Gracias 1996, pp. 56–62
- ↑ Sakshena 1997, p. 9
- ↑ da Silva Gracias 1996, p. 62
- ↑ da Souza 2007, p. 57
- ↑ "Feast of St. Francis Xavier". The Hindu. 4 December 2004. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2008.
- ↑ "Goans celebrate harvest festival of Konsachem" (Press release). DailyIndia. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
- ↑ Shiv Kumar (April 2006). "Zagor, the Goan festival of communal amity, under threat". InfoChange News & Features. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
- ↑ Jenny Coutinho (9 October 2008). "Moti Fest, pork sausages and Church of Qatar" (Press release). Merinews. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
- ↑ "The dawn of Viva Carnaval in Goa". O Heraldo. 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
References[edit]
- Sakshena, R.N. (1997). Goa: In the Main Stream. ISBN 9788170170051. Retrieved 20 September 2008. [sic]
- Paul Harding and, Bryn Thomas (2003). Goa. ISBN 9781740591393. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
- Maffei, Angelus Francis Xavier (2001). English-konkani Dictionary. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-0626-4. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- Sen, Colleen Taylor (2004). Food Culture in India. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-313-32487-5. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
- Gomes, Olivinho (1987). Village Goa: A Study of Goan Social Structure and Change. S. Chand.
- Saradesāya, Manohararāya (2000). A History of Konkani Literature: From 1500 to 1992. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 81-7201-664-6.