There are certain secular and national holidays that are observed by almost every state in India. Other than this, each state has some of its own holidays too. Talking about Goa, apart from observing holidays like Republic Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Christmas, etc, the state also celebrate holidays like Ugadi, Feast of St Francis Xavier and Liberation Day. Knowing about the holidays and their dates can help people in planning the fun things they might want to do on these holidays. As such, Goa Holidays List 2023 has been presented in this article below.
List of Government Holidays in Goa 2023
Government holidays are the ones decided by the government of a state that are normally observed by all the public offices, banks and schools in the state. In the state of Goa, there are total of 16 holidays that have been specified as Government holidays. Below here is presented a list of such holidays along with the day and date on which they will fall. Apart from being a holiday on the mentioned days, different institutions also have their own calendar of holidays. It is also a possibility that some private offices do not provide holidays on all the days mentioned below. For now, all the dates are mentioned correctly. However, in case any changes are made by the concerned authority, the table will be updated accordingly.
Festival | Date | Day |
Republic Day | 26 January | Thursday |
Holi | 8 March | Wednesday |
Ugadi | 22 March | Wednesday |
Dr B R Ambedkar Jayanti | 14 April | Friday |
Good Friday | 7 April | Friday |
May Day | May 1 | Monday |
Eid-ul-Fitr | 22 April | Saturday |
Bakrid/ Eid-al-Adha | 29th June to 30th June | Thursday to Friday |
Independence Day | 15 August | Tuesday |
Ganesh Chaturthi | 19 September | Tuesday |
Gandhi Jayanti | 2 October | Monday |
Vijaya Dashami | 24 October | Tuesday |
Diwali | 12 November | Sunday |
Feast of St Francis Xavier | 3 December | Sunday |
Goa Liberation Day | 19 December | Tuesday |
Christmas | December 25 | Monday |
Goa Bank Holidays 2023 List
Goa state banks observe every holiday mentioned in the government holiday list. There is also a holiday on every second and fourth Saturday of every month. Banks will be fully operational on rest Saturdays, given there are no other holidays falling on that day. Although people can visit banks on the holidays, all the online and ATM service work as usual on these days. Presented below is the list of all second and fourth Saturdays falling in the year 2023.
January 2023
- 14th January : Second Saturday
- 28th January : Fourth Saturday
February 2023
- 11th February : Second Saturday
- 25th February : Fourth Saturday
March 2023
- 11th March : Second Saturday
- 25th March : Fourth Saturday
April 2023
- 8th April : Second Saturday
- 22nd April : Fourth Saturday
May 2023
- 13th May : Second Saturday
- 27th May : Fourth Saturday
June 2023
- 10th June : Second Saturday
- 24th June : Fourth Saturday
July 2023
- 8th July : Second Saturday
- 22nd July : Fourth Saturday
August 2023
- 12th August : Second Saturday
- 26th August : Fourth Saturday
September 2023
- 9th September : Second Saturday
- 23rd September : Fourth Saturday
October 2023
- 14th October : Second Saturday
- 28th October : Fourth Saturday
November 2023
- 11th November : Second Saturday
- 25th November : Fourth Saturday
December 2023
- 9th December : Second Saturday
- 23rd December : Fourth Saturday
Schools Holidays in Goa in 2023
Schools of the Goa state will remain close on almost every Government holidays and every Sunday, similar to the banks. However, unlike the banks there is no fixed policy for an off on a Saturday. Some schools provide an off on Saturday while some do not. Some schools open higher classes on Saturdays while lower classes remain suspended. Other than this days like annual function day, cultural events day, parents-teacher meeting days, etc are also granted as holiday in many schools. Complete details about the holidays a school will observe in a year can be found from the brochure or prospectus of the respective schools. Some school publish their annual holiday calendar on their official website also.
Significant festivals of Goa state
Among the other festivals observed in the state of Goa, there are a few holidays that are celebrated specifically in this state (and maybe in some nearby states). Check out some details about the significant festivals of Goa below.
- Ugadi– Although, Ugadi is not an original festival of Goa but it is still celebrated by the people with full excitement. Traditions like wearing new clothes, meeting family members and exchanging gifts are practiced on this festival.
- Goa Liberation Day– Goa Liberation Day is observed every year on December 19 and is the day on which Goa was liberated from the 450 years of Portuguese rule. Although India got its freedom from the British rule in 1947, it was in the year 1961 when Goa was freed from the rule of Portugal. People of Goa celebrate this day with great enthusiasm and it is observed as a Government holiday in almost every schools and offices.
- Feast of St Francis Xavier– The Feast of St Francis Xavier is an annual holiday that is observed on December 3rd every year. This day is celebrated in commemoration of Saint Francis Xavier who was the co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He spent around three years in Goa and other parts of southern India, preaching the people and converting them into Christians. His relics are kept in a silver casket at Basilica of Bom Jesus and is visited by many people on the occasion of this holiday.