Goans have celebrations and festivals throughout the year. The most famous of these are the Carnival and the Shigmo.

Carnival - the festival of fun, frolic and music is celebrated just before Lent in Feb/Mar. There are colourful parades in most cities with music and lavish floats.

The uproarious festivities of three days are presided over by King Momo and a joyous feeling of joie-de-vivre is everywhere.

Shigmo - is essentially a festival of the masses celebrating the farewell to winter and arrival of spring corresponding with the Holi or Spring Festival held for one-week up to the full-moon day in March.

Various village groups clad in their most colorful dresses set out with festive mood with multi-colored cloths, flags, beating drums and blowing flutes to gather at the village temples, and dance in the temple court yard singing various folk songs to the beat of the drums.

There are also parades in most major Goan towns in which various folk groups attired in traditional costumes, consisting of women and men dancers give vibrant performances of various dances.