India is the land of many colorful festivals which means there are many public holidays in Goa as well. Keep it in mind that you plan your trip and sightseeing on dates that do not fall on public holidays. This is because most of the tourist attractions are closed during the public holidays in Goa. So are local transport and other facilities. Goa celebrates all festivals that are common in India and also celebrates those festivals which are exclusive to Goa. To help you plan your trip without any confusions and hassles, we provide you with a list of all major holidays in Goa.
This shall help you plan your trip accordingly and you may also attend the celebration of couple of festivals yourself if you have the time. Some dates have already been mentioned as they are fixed, but some festivals are celebrated according to the Hindu lunar calendar so the dates keep changing every year. You may consult the Hindu calendar for further updates on the dates when they are celebrated.
Date | Occasion / Festival |
January 1st | New Year's Da |
January 26th | Republic Day of India (National Holiday) |
February | Mardi Gras Carnival |
March | Maha Shiva Ratri |
March | Holi |
March | Festival of Shigmo |
April | Baisakhi |
April | Good Friday |
May | Eid-ul-Milad |
May | Buddha Purnima |
June | Festival of St. John |
August (Fourth Saturday) | Bonderam Festival |
August | Ganesha Chaturthi |
August 15th | India's Independence Day (National Holiday) |
October 2nd | Gandhi Jayanti (National Holiday) |
October / November | Dusshera |
October / November | Diwali / Deepawali |
November 19th | Guru Nanak Dev's Birthday |
December 25th | Christmas / X-Mas |