The Big Goan - Goa Holiday Blog

Goa ushers in another day of Valentine's. The first morning sign of Valentine having set  in today is the splash of messages in the morning Newspapers. Every message was an outpouring of love and romance. Leading newspapers in Goa had already launched a competition weeks in advance, which is a regular feature year on year to speak out feelings of love for Goans to capitalise on their emotions and that too for good prizes at stake.

Valentine's day has therefore been hugely accepted in Goa as the rest of the world, as a day that celebrates romantic love and everything associated with it and in modern times has expanded its theory to include all kinds of relationships - friends, family, schoolmates, college pals, colleagues at work etc and is generously expressed through wishes, cards, dining out, dance occasions, and simply doing the theme thing that Valentine's day is so well known for - DATING.

Over the years Goa has seen the Valentines' spirit soaring year after year and adding more and more commercial sense into the establishment of Goa.. Fluffy hearts tend to greet you at entrances of many shops while also hanging out from ceilings and doorways. the shops are mostly lined with Valentine memorabilia and decorations adorn the insides of shops to give the feeling of a Valentine festival. Also card shops are not the only ones to fall victim to cupids favourite dressing. We do have confectionery shops, music stores, coffee shops, theaters, jewellery and watch shops etc gleefully sporting the Valentine look.

Card shops however take the cake while decorating and sprucing up the shop with the most extensive decoration and also painting the exteriors including the transparent glass doors and stuffing the entire shop with Valentine merchandise. Lip-smacking offers in all kinds of other shops have also made this day and the previous evening ( 13th february) a busy day for commercial establishments.

The state eateries are normally packed with couples gazing deeply into each others eyes as if they were eye specialists, while the ordered food is given the least importance. holding hands and playing toey-toey are a few other liberties freely expressed in the light of the romance brewing quite often.

In schools and colleges Valentine's day has caught up to stir the imagination of students and exchanging cards and wishes is part of the campus drill. Many often find love at a very young age and therefore need to be more careful though. Valentines' day should not be the reason for any untoward experiences.

The media as pointed out earlier has pitched in fully into this feverish feeling that the world of Goa is savouring and radio is not far behind either with dedications pouring by the thousands.

All in all, the day is going to be a hectic one for many in Goa indeed. happy valentine's day to one and all.