Catholic weddings in Goa

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

In the earlier days a middle person known as a 'Mali' or 'Raibari' used to arrange the marriage by taking a proposal to the boy's or the girl's family. These days very few marriages are arranged this way and a family directly goes with a proposal if they like the boy or the girl. Next after they agree, a decision called 'Utor' or promise is taken by the families whereby they discuss the details of the wedding that include the dowry to be given to the bridegroom. 

The engagement is then traditionally held at the groom's place and takes place with the exchange of rings in the presence of family members, priests, relatives and friends.

After this all the wedding preparations actually start.Relatives of both, the bride and the groom go shopping on a particular day to purchase fabrics for the bridal gown, the 'saddo' and the dress material that the bride has to wear on the next day of the wedding.

Next the wedding banns are read in the church on three consecutive Sundays just some weeks before the wedding. on the very same day the bride is supposed to wear the 'Chuddo' in her maternal uncle's house who is supposed to invite her for lunch. The 'Chuddo' ceremony takes place here where the bangle seller i.e. the cankonkar comes to the house and fits bangles on the bride's hands in the accompaniment of 'zoti' which are special commemorative songs. The bangles worn are green in colour with yellow lines and it symbolizes the married life of the bride. Thus they should not be broken and the bride is not expected to do any work due to this. The bangle seller is paid some money for his services along with a measure of rice, one coconut and some bananas.

After this another ceremony known as 'Roas' is held on a day before the wedding. Here the bride and the groom, each at their respective residences are required to bathe in coconut water.According to Goan tradition coconut milk is poured even on the bridesmaids and the best men. Relatives and friends attending the function apply the roas to the bridal couple which symbolizes purification and signals the end of spinsterhood and bachelorhood. A sweet dish made of rice, coconut and jaggery known as 'atoll' is served to the guests at the end of the Roas ceremony.

On the wedding day, a close relative of the groom who is supposed to help the bride dress up comes to her house with the wedding dress and other items. Before going to the church all close relatives and friends bless the bride and the groom in their respective residences. The wedding car comes to pick the bride after reaching the groom to the church. Here at the nuptials the couple declare the wedding vows and the priest then pronounces them man and wife.

After this on their return from church, the newly wedded couple comes to the groom's house and the groom's mother puts a gold chain on the bride's neck and places the 'saddo' on her shoulder. Prayers are recited or sung.They then proceed to the venue for the reception where the wedding cake is cut and all dancing and merrymaking takes place with food and drinks being served. A toast is also raised for the happiness and prosperity of the married couple.

At the end of the reception all relatives and friends of the bridal couple who have remained till the end draw an imaginary line known as 'xim'. The bride's family assembles at one side and the groom and his family on the other. Prayers are offered and later few of the bride's relatives cross the 'xim' and formally invite the couple to the bride's house the next day which is called 'apovnemn' in Konkani. Thus all the festivities and celebration of the wedding come to an end after the reception.