Holi: The Festival of Colors
One of my favorite times of the year, Holi is an Indian festival that marks the beginning of Spring. You can probably tell why it’s called the festival of colors. On this day (usually in March, based on the Hindu calendar) the entire country of India is vibrant, energetic, and bathed in beautiful colors.
My personal experience with Holi has been incredible because I always remembered it as a time when my family and friends were with me and we would play with colors all day, dance to beautiful Bollywood songs, eat delicious food, and cover each other with different colors. The aesthetic of Holi is very consistent throughout the country and now in many places around the world. People usually wear white clothes, and by the end of the day, they are covered with a myriad of bright colors.
Once I came to the United States, I went to the University of New Hampshire as an undergraduate student. Most people there had never even heard of Holi, so I organized a Holi event on campus. The students and faculty loved it and in our first year celebrating it, we had over a hundred people participate. Needless to say, Holi has become a tradition on campus and people look forward to adding all sorts of colors to our campus every Spring. Read the UNH article if you are interested to read about Holi from an American student’s perspective: UNH Holi Feature
Here are some pictures from the Holi celebration at the University of New Hampshire.
Sources for images in order:
http://www.festivalofcolorsusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/holi-history.jpg
http://www.holione.com/tl_files/img/galleries/_mixed/HOLI%20ONE_09.jpg
http://happy-holisms.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/112.jpg
http://www.unh.edu/unhtales/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Holi-40-of-68-700×467.jpg
5 Comments. Leave new
I found your post very intriguing! I love how the aesthetics of colors evoke happiness and joy, as well as how you included your own reactions to the festival. The vibrant dyes and positive energy surrounding the festival are known worldwide, and have influenced many other events (i.e. 5k color runs). Thank you for sharing your thoughts on something that is rooted in your culture!
This a very interesting and informative post regarding something which is clearly rooted to your cultural background. The colors that are innate to the celebration are very vibrant and reminiscent of spring and growth. It is always joyful to see how celebration such as Holi can be adopted elsewhere and convey a similar message. Perhaps the clothing and colors offered inspiration for all the “color” 5k runs that have become so popular during the spring and summer months around town.
Thank you! Yeah, there are a lot of color runs these days, and they employ a similar aesthetic.
I enjoyed reading this post, because I like the way you incorporated the aesthetics of this festival as a feeling of love and happiness from being with your family during this festival. The colors from the Holi are unreal and they are so vibrant. I like the way that the yellow and the pink kind of contrast against one another… Is there a celebration like this in Denver? I have seen them before in San Francisco but not here before. Great post! Great aesthetic.
Thanks Tori, it does bring me a certain feeling of happiness and warmth when I think about Holi. I think there are a few celebrations in Denver and even on our campus here!