Ladin

Thanksgiving is primarily celebrated in the state of Goa, with a different name. Ladin or Ladainha is a thanksgiving ritual among the Christians of Goa. The Ladin translates as ‘litany to the Virgin Mary’. The Ladin is a thanksgiving to god and it is sponsored by a different person every year, who either seek benefits or have been lucky enough to have God's special grace. However, during the Thanksgiving ritual, people – irrespective of whether they are sponsors or not - thank God for all the material and spiritual benefits.

Preparations for Ladin would begin with the purchase of grams, Branco wine, candles and colorful tinsel in the local market. The family altar is bedecked with flowers, creepers, crotons laid out in vases. The gram soaked in water since morning is then put on the fire to be boiled and coconut chips are sliced to be mixed with the boiled grams. The Ladin celebrations include litany singing, by all who are present, to the accompaniment of the violin. Various kinds of hymns and prayers are also sung. This singing is presided over and conducted by the village choirmaster or a local violinist.

Another celebration associated with the Ladin or Thanksgiving, is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mother Mary. Farmers cut the first harvest of milk-filled corn from the rice field and offer it to God. This is done to seek God's blessing for a good harvest in the coming season. Though the date of celebrations varies in different parts of Goa, but generally it is celebrated in December every year.