Christmas the Goan way
Published on: December 24, 2011 – 02:15
By Maria Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues
In Goa, the Catholic community celebrates the birth of Christ with great pomp. Christianity was brought to this tiny hamlet by the Portuguese, who converted the native Hindus and Muslims of Goa.
However, they were not successful in converting the entire population, even after having offered incentives -monetary and otherwise – and having ruled over Goa for 450 years. Consequently, Goa never had more than 40 per cent of Catholic population during the long span of four and half century of Portuguese domination. But, they have left indelible influence in our socio-religious and cultural life, and Christmas celebration is one of them, though with a very Goan touch.
Christmas was a time for the family to get together and celebrate. Old and young would all join in the celebration. Preparations for X’mas would start well in advance. The young lasses would look out for the latest arrivals and the tailors would be kept be kept busy making the dresses as per the fashion in vogue. The youngsters were occupied with making decorative items for X’mas tree, the star and the crib. The house would wear a festive look, with the star lit and the lights put in the verandah of the house and around the crib.
The women were kept busy preparing an assortment of goodies. This array of sweetmeats and other items prepared for Christmas is in Portuguese called consuada and in Konkani cunsoar. However, it is interesting to note that the Portuguese use the word in different connotation. Consuada for them is the supper the family has on the eve of Christmas, at midnight mass or after the midnight mass. The Christmas supper is very significant because all the family members join in this meal, and those who do not live in the same house village or city, come home on this occasion. This traditional supper is called the ceia de natal consists of bacalhau cozido com batatas, overtemperados com alhos, azeite e vinagre acompanhado de couve cozida. (Boiled dry cold fish with potatoes and eggs, to which garlic, olive oil and vinegar is added to taste, along with boiled kale)
Although many food habits have directly influenced the Goans, and those in contact with the Portuguese have a penchant for bacalhau. This traditional supper did not come to Goa, and if at all it came, it did not stay.
Very few Goans families observe this tradition of Christmas supper, and the main meal is Christmas lunch when all the family members join to celebrate the birth of Christ the King.
For Goans consuada would invariably include the neureos and voddes, a must in every house (Unless mourning the death of a close relative, who departed not more than a year ago) along with mandares, dodol, cormolans, teias de aranha, pinaca, doce de grao. Babinca, rebucados de caremal, fruit cake were additional items for the more sophisticated, which also include doces cristiali zados and marzipans.
Preparing the consuada was a ritual to the house wife, and some of them were prepared well in advance. Many family members also joined in the preparation. As a child my favourite pick was the rebucados de caramel, which was toffee of hardened sugar caramel, wrapped in colourful papers. Sometime the paper would stick to the toffee and it was troublesome to remove it. Frutas cristalizadas are crystallized fruits.
The consuada prepared, the crib and the star lit, the family is now ready for the Christmas mass. The Missa de Galo ie the midnight mass is the main event of celebrations. The mass starts a little before midnight, so that at midnight the priest can intone the Gloria in Excelsis Deo. At this moment the church bell rings joyously to announce the birth of Christ the king. Burning of crackers accompany the bells to make the moment more festive. After the mass, relatives and friends wished one another Boas Festas.
The main meal on Christmas Day usually consisted of chicken, pork sorpatel or cabidel, voddes and arroz refogado. Sannas could also be added, though not usually a practice on this day. The more sophisticated families had a more elaborate menu, which include the turkey.
Friends and relatives visit one another during the festive seasons, which end with the feast of Three Kings, on January 6. In Daman there is a tradition of visiting in group, in the evening during the festive season, the Catholic houses, in adoration of the infant Jesus. (The same way we take “Our Lady” from house to house in Goa). These visits are called louvores (to praise the Lord) and prayers are recited. After the prayers vale nascido (beans) are served to those present.
Another tradition was that during the X’mas season the kumbhars (potters) would exchange their ware for voddes. Money was sent in the past, and the living standards were low for most of the people and therefore the barter system existed in Goa. I was told that children could buy with the kumbhars the earthern toys, like budkules, mitheiro for as much as 3 to 4 voddes.
Life has changed today and traditions occupy the back seat, in a society where everybody seems to be busy, and rushing to reach their destination. Let us hope people will make some time and observe the Christmas festival in a traditional Goan way.