GOANS restrain their celebratory urge during the month of Shravan (Hindus) and during the Lent (Catholics). During the month of Shravan, the Hindu community observes fasts and restrict to vegetarian food. The same goes for the Christians, who are overwhelmingly Catholic in Goa. Once upon a time, the Catholics would totally abstain from eating meat during Lent, except for the folk who would take out a "bull", a sort of exemption from consuming meat during the period. All celebrations like weddings, feasts and tiatrs would come to a grinding halt. Many will remember, the years when mothers would make eyes if someone even dared to hum or whistle a tune during the Korezm (Lent).

Times change. Fish vies with meats as far as price spiralling is concerned in Goa nowadays. So abstinence too has undergone a virtual seachange. Even quite a few alcohol adherents would once keep away from the bottle for 40 days. However, new recipes and fast foods are the order of the day and hence the penitential period has lost a lot of its erstwhile rigidity. The long-winding church ceremonies have been pruned wisely to suit today's busy schedules. Gone too are the days of the Latin chants which were accompanied by the coman, violin, flute, clarinet, etc. We sing in Konkani now and the music is not as complex or exacting as it used to be when pathos-laden motets would rent the air in Lent.

The Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, following the three days of fun-filled Carnival, and culminate 40 days later with Easter Sunday. It is a rather difficult period involving penitence and prayer, with everyone rushing to the church either for the Way of the Cross on Fridays or for the Holy passes, when the sufferings of Jesus are enacted through a sort of a tableau, procession and some touching sermons.

The sixth pass, in which Jesus is seen carrying the cross on his shoulders, is particularly spectacular. The procession generally takes a circuitous route and quite often the churches in Goa being on a hillock, it virtually appears like the recreation of the original scene at Mount Calvary. When with Jesus the congregation reaches the church compound, one sees Mother Mary waiting for her beloved son. Follows the singing of "Veronica" in memory of the woman, who wiped the face of Jesus and was rewarded with the blood-stained impression of his face on the cloth.

The "Veronica" is followed by the second sermon, from the pulpit in the church compound. The first one was preached inside the church before the procession. The Holy Week begins with the Palm Sunday, when children come to church with palms, of the coconut tree, decorated with flowers, to be blessed after the procession. We bring home the palm and keep it near the altar. When there is any problem or sickness in the home, the older folk have the habit of bringing the palm to have it kissed. Goans are given to a few superstitions too like if a kid falls down somewhere on the road at high noon or sometime at sundown, they say "bhiella", or frightened by a spirit, perhaps of a dead person. So they splash the holy water on the person. The holy water is brought from the church after Easter.

The religious rites of Maundy Thursday feature the traditional washing of the feet in commemoration of Jesus, who had washed the feet of his twelve apostles. At the end comes Good Friday, the holiest and also the gloomiest day of Lent, when Jesus is shown crucified. The entire congregation would dress in mournful white, black or blue unlike today. Any other colour would raise eyebrows, except for the irmaos (confrada) who donned the red and white opmus.

After Easter, the priest comes to bless every occupied house in the village. A few boys help him carry the small silver vessel containing the holy water. People offer the boys some sweets or biscuits on that day.

We have different ways and specific menus for different feasts--neureo for Christmas, patolleo for the Blessing of the New Corn, ale-belle for the engagement ceremony, and so on but for Paskam or Easter we did not have anything really typical except for the sannam, vodde, sorpotel and the usual "fest" menu. But in recent years, our traditions being globalised, the affluent can now afford turkey while the kids are treated to the colourful, delicious Easter eggs.

With Easter, the floodgates of entertainment, which had been shuttemporarily for Lent, burst open. Tiatrs, weddings, dances and feasts resume virtually with vengeance, and Goans find themselves in the midst of what they excel at--celebrating.

So, we wish one and all a TRULY HAPPY EASTER.

Joel D'Souza
EDITOR