Sao Joao: How Mumbaikars are celebrating St John’s feast in the pandemic

While a lack of wells and the Covid-19 pandemic interfere with Sao Joao or St John festivities yet again, Catholics in the city are keeping the tradition alive in small and innovative ways

“The wells are either dirty or locked here”, rues Kurla resident Abigail D’souza, who is one of the many Mumbaikars who is celebrating St John’s feast in the city. The feast of St John the Baptist is widely celebrated on June 24 among the Catholic community in the city. Taking a dip or diving into the wells is one of the distinct ways of celebrating the feast, which is popularly known as Sao Joao. Interestingly, the act of jumping into the well is not limited to a cultural norm but is rather based on a biblical reference. 

Fr. Daniel Fernandes, priest at Mount Carmel Church in Bandra, says the feast is only one of three births celebrated in the Bible. The first is of Jesus, the second of Mother Mary and the third of St John the Baptist, who is Jesus’ cousin. He explains, “The festivities are a huge tradition not only in Mumbai but also around the world and is celebrated in different ways including parades, wearing colourful wreaths, and taking a dip in the well. Biblically, the act of jumping in the well represents the time when Mother Mary visited her cousin St. Elizabeth, who was pregnant with St John. During their meeting, he leapt with joy in the womb. St John is a very strong character, who uses baptism by water as his ministry and believes in repentance through the forgiveness of sins.”

Unfortunately, celebrating traditionally beyond attending mass in church or online is impossible in many places around the city as the wells are not clean anymore. However, this lack of maintenance is changing the way people revel in the festivities. 

Sao Joao celebrations in Siolim in Goa in 2019. Photo: Abigail D'souza

Like many other Mumbaikars who visit Goa during this time, D’souza too visits Siolim village along with friends and family to take part in the annual ritual. She says, “Since we cannot celebrate much in Mumbai, we go to Siolim. There, we usually go from house to house and celebrate with diving in the wells, food, drink, song and dance with live music, as one of the locals plays the guitar and people sing along till sundown.” 

Keeping festivities alive during the pandemic 
Closer home, the wells may have played spoilsport but 2020 presented an even bigger challenge and the festival wasn’t celebrated at all during the first pandemic year. This year, D’souza says plans were in the works to go to Goa but due to the current situation, they opted out of it. “We celebrated it earlier this month with St Anthony’s feast with the help of an inflatable pool. A friend made the wreath with leaves and we made the most of the occasion with different kinds of food like meat roast, cutlets, traditional Goan stews, pork ribs and chicken barbecue to make it feel like the celebrations in Goa.” 

Meanwhile, Vakola resident Anthony D’souza along with a small group of friends and family intends to keep the tradition alive with a small gathering and celebration near the Vakola village well. “Since, the feast has come on a weekday this time and we couldn’t celebrate it last year, we have decided to celebrate it this Sunday along with the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Earlier, we used to have a crowd of almost 60 people but it will be nowhere close this time. However, there will be a potluck celebration as everybody will cook and get something for the party.” 


Locals in Goa taking a dip in the well to celebrate the Sao Joao festival in 2019. Photo: Abigail D'souza

Both of them are not the only ones engaged in the festivities. Fr. Fernandes embraces the celebration of the feast not only within the church but also outside it. “Most wells are unfortunately inaccessible in the city so celebrating it the traditional way is difficult. So, yesterday, I joined my youth friends to celebrate by jumping in a well we know of in Gorai. We have also found a spot and are looking to celebrate again this Sunday,” he says excitedly. The Bandra priest also reminisces about the time he celebrated the feast in Remedy, a village in Vasai. “I spent a brief period of my time there when we had to learn Marathi, while in the seminary. It happened to coincide with the feast and so I took the opportunity to take a dip in the big village well with all my other friends and the villagers. It was a lot of fun.” 


Abigail D'souza wearing a DIY wreath at the Sao Joao party in 2021. Photo: Abigail D'souza

Private celebrations 
Elsewhere in the city, the celebrations are quieter this time and limited to indoors, even though they were grand in the past. Jonathan Soiero, a parishioner of St John the Baptist Church in Thane, says, “We usually celebrate in a big way here and even have inter-zonal tournaments and a get-together but this time around it is only going to be some food, drink, Youtube games, and playing housie. It is unlike how we celebrate in Goa, where we go from village to village, jump in wells, and celebrate with them.”

Naomi Gonsalves, who is from the same parish, started Ambrosial, her delivery kitchen on the feast day last year and has a special menu for this year too. She says, “St. John is the patron saint of our church here and so it is a big deal. I have received a lot of orders for the feast day. Since most people are celebrating indoors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they usually have a family lunch.”

It is a different kind of atmosphere in Malad. Vincent Colasso, president of the Goan Association in Malvani, says while they did not get to celebrate last year, they chose to not celebrate it this year because of the pandemic. “Many people said we should celebrate it but we decided against it because it usually has as many as 200 families, who are registered with us. Our association is six years old and we want to keep the Goan traditions alive for people in Mumbai but we also want to maintain safety and follow government rules,” Colasso explains.  

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