Thursday, March 8, 2012

Celebrating Holi Festival


"We may have different creeds and faith. We may have different cultures and festivities. But one thing I learned most is to respect each other's differences towards unity, peace, and understanding."




Today, I am fortunate to have experienced a colorful and joyful celebration of the Holi festival in New Delhi. It was celebrated by everyone who shared fun and laughter while playing with colorful powders and putting them on each other.



Holi festival is also known as the festival of colors. It marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of the spring, where they welcome the season with vibrant colorsalso known as the Spring festival. It is widely celebrated by Hindus throughout the country and other parts of the world where an Indian community exists.

At this festival, people gather regardless of gender, age, and social status. It is also believed to bring a closer relationship between two different castes, as practiced in the recent past or maybe at the present— India's lower and upper caste system.


Holi starts with a bonfire the eve before the day of the festival. It is followed by a gathering on the following day to celebrate this festivity. Holi would tend to bring back broken relationships, forgive enemies and bring back the closer ties of the community.

In a world where everyone should possess the values of politeness and courtesy, the Holi festival would have broken that social norm. Children and adults do not bother to become well-behaved on this day but are boisterous for even a short period celebrating this festival.

As I have observed, people have different interests in how they would have fun. Some kids and even adults played with water guns and rumbled on the muddy water. Some would love to dance to the tune of Bollywood music and western music. Some would just love to watch and have yet to want to get some colors.


We may have different creeds and faith. We may have different cultures and festivities. But I learned most to respect each other's differences towards unity, peace, and understanding.