Consular Christmas blogs: An alternative Christmas in Goa

The end of the year is a fun time to be in Goa.

The festive season starts with the Hindu festivals of Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali, then you have the various church feasts that honour the patron saints of each village. In December, Roman Catholics celebrate the feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa, whose relics lie at the historical Basilica de Bom Jesus at Old Goa.

Most feasts are celebrated after a nine day novena, so it’s natural that this is done with much fanfare; translation: food and drink! If you are lucky enough to be invited for a lunch feast, make sure you loosen your belt a bit. The typical lunch menu consists of dishes such as pork and bean feijoada, salted tongue, chicken caffreal and kingfish recheado masala, a legacy of the Portuguese colonization of Goa. Alcohol is very cheap in Goa, with a bottle of beer costing less than a pound.

Goans may be known to be sussegad (laid back) but we do take our partying seriously! We love music and dance, and after a midnight mass to celebrate Christmas one can dance the night away at musical events with several bands playing music until the wee hours of the morning.

People from all over the world descend on Goa to bring in the New Year with celebrations that rival any of the other more well-known party hot spots, like Ibiza and Alicante.

British holidaymakers also find Goa an attractive destination because of the friendly locals, inexpensive hotels and the warm winter climate. In addition, there are also a large number of Brits that own businesses or have retired here.

Most visits to Goa are incident-free but it does help to be well prepared whether it is your first or fifteenth visit. One of the most important things to do is to take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover all the activities that you intend on doing.

Many British travellers hire mopeds as a fun way of getting around, but they can be quite dangerous. Many holidaymakers find out too late that their insurance policy doesn’t cover them for hospitalization or medical evacuation costs in the event of a moped accident, possibly because they were not wearing helmets or because the use of a moped was not even covered under the policy.

It is also a good idea to acquaint yourself with the local laws and customs even if you are frequent traveller. In the past we have assisted a Brit who had been arrested for smoking cannabis. He was a regular visitor to Goa and had seen people smoke the drug but was unaware that it was illegal, until the police brought it to his attention.

If arrested for a serious offence, Brits can have their passports confiscated. This leaves them unable to travel back home, unable to work here and therefore having to rely on their families for financial support.

The judicial system in India is overworked and cases can take years to conclude; it has been known for a Brit to spend up to four years in India waiting for a case to be resolved.

If after a relaxing Christmas holiday you consider a more permanent move to Goa, as many do, we recommend that you acquaint yourselves with the local laws and appoint an English-speaking lawyer to represent your interests before making any large investment.

So, if you want to top up the tan this winter lounging on a beach with your favorite book, sipping a cashew feni (Goa’s own tequila!) all whilst watching the local fishermen pull in their nets bulging with the catch of the day, then Goa is the place for you to have a merry alternative Christmas.