goan catholic wedding & traditions

Goan Wedding Traditions

Goan Catholic wedding & its Traditions!!

The Catholic wedding in Goa involves many customs and traditions that captures the happiest times of the Goan people.

                                              

Culture and tradition run deep in Goan blood. Goan weddings aren’t just a day’s celebration; but are spread over 4-5 days. We Goans definitely take every celebration especially weddings very seriously ! The Wedding Season’s have evolved with even Monsoon Weddings becoming Popular in Goa .Months of April, May and December witness a huge number of weddings with almost all elite wedding businesses booked a year in advance.

The first tradition that is a must for a Goan wedding is ‘Chuddo’

In the Goan wedding culture, bangles are an important bridal accessory. It is a custom where the Goan bride has to wear the best bangles possible. These bangles of a particular colour and design are called ‘chuddo’. They are usually purchased from the regular/local bangle-seller.

        

        

This ceremony is usually performed at the house of the maternal uncle of the bride. These bangles represent the married life and hence if her husband passes away or dies then the woman is made to break her bangles over the coffin and the pieces thrown in. The number and colour of the bangles differ from village to village.For the ceremony, the bangles are fitted onto the wrists of the bride-to-be by the volar. Relatives take the opportunity and get some bangles for themselves as well.The family offers money as a token of blessing and is kept in a tray placed near the bangle-seller. The chuddo ceremony is common among the Hindus and Christians of Goa.Also, the bride receives gifts from relatives and wears the ceremonial bangles, eight to nine in number on her right wrist and seven to eight on her left.

 Doce ceremony

Doce has a special place at Goan weddings too. There is a special day at the bride and groom's place a couple of days prior to the wedding to make doce. Doce is a popular sweet prepared for various ceremonies in Goa. It is a part of a line of sweets which are made for Christmas, traditionally know as Kuswar.

    

The second traditional is a ritual called ‘Ros’

This is the anointing ceremony where both the bride and the groom are anointed with coconut milk by their parents, relatives, neighbours and friends in their respective houses. This is usually done 2 to 3 days prior to the wedding. This ceremony symbolizes the beginning of new life. The coconut milk is used and is said to cleanse or purify the couple before the wedding, which also signifies the end of their single lives. The ones anointing the couple have a lot of fun as they get to break eggs on the couple’s heads and throw coins or cash into the bowls which are later given to the maids that helped in the preparations.

‘Bhuim Jevon’

This is a meal in honour of the family’s ancestors known as ‘bikaraimche jevon’ or" family jevon". This meal is for the beggars and poor people in and around the village. There are many such traditions like this which are not carried out today.

Next day wedding  in church

Style & Attire

A lot of the contemporary brides in Goa prefer to wear the traditional white wedding gown that is made out of luxurious and rich fabrics like satin and silk with delicate embellishments, along with the veil. The groom also dresses in a suit that could also be a tuxedo to compliment the bride.  The overall look is very classic, with a touch of contemporary desi

                    

 

Both bride and groom take the seventh sacrament

Giving each other vow in front of alter saying   “I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. ... "I, ______, take you, ______, for my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."

And at last exchanging finger rings to each other and becomes “husband and wife” .

      

Reception

 The wedding is then followed by the reception which is full of fun and frolic with a live band, ball dance, food and drinks. Also the tradition of cutting the wedding cake takes place and a toast is raised to the new couple.

 

After the wedding ceremony comes the ‘Appoune’ or ‘Porthopon’.

In this tradition, the bride’s family invites the groom’s family over to their house usually the next day of the wedding. The bride wears a bright red saree or dress called ‘Saddo’.

   

 It starts with the pre-wedding tradition, then the day the bride and groom get hitched, ‘second day’ and there’s surely more. There are many traditional customs that take place in the span of these 4 to 5 days, they might be small traditions but they are critical because they have a big meaning to them.

 

 

All these traditions are carried out with the whole family from both the bride’s side as well as the groom’s side. Making it a family affair and strengthening the familial ties. Enjoying every bit of the wedding from beginning to end. That is how amazing our big fat Goan weddings are!

source: Wikipedia (09th march 2019)