Like many an average American, I was completely ignorant of Holi before arriving in India. One could explain it simply as a North Indian festival of spring. But I'll provide a bit more background.
 |
| Holi 2018: Erica and Clover covered in colors! |
Holi is also considered a triumph of good over evil. Hindu legend says that a prince worshipped the god Vishnu, in defiance of his arrogant father who demanded that everyone worship him as a god. Tired of the prince's defiance of his father, his aunt tricked him into sitting in a bonfire with her. (I have no idea how she managed to persuade him to do that!) She was wearing a fire-resistant cape, which the god Vishnu pulled from her and put over the prince as the fire burned. The evil aunt died and the good prince lived. Many Holi celebrations now begin with a bonfire.
 |
| Holi 2018: A cloud of color over the group Holi participants |
Another legend says that the blue-skinned god Krishna worried that his crush Radha wouldn't love him. Krishna's mother suggested he go to Radha and put any color on her face that she desired. Radha agreed (really??) and fell in love with Krishna. Now Holi is celebrated with people smearing colored powder on each other.
 |
| Holi 2019: Erica, Jodi, and April before the colors |
 |
| Holi 2019: Erica, April and Jodi after the colors |
I've celebrated Holi each year I've been in India. In 2018, I went on a group trip to the nearby Neemrana Fort for an overnight of colors, food, and relaxation.
 |
| Holi 2019: Jodi and Erica drenched in colors! |
In 2019, I was lucky to celebrate Holi with two friends visiting me from Baku! We were initially very worried about the staying power of the color on our hair and finger nails, but luckily it eventually faded away.
 |
| Holi 2020: All clean before the colors |
 |
| Holi 2020: No longer clean after the colors |
In 2020, I wasn't able to get out of town for Holi. But those of us who hung around Delhi had our own celebration with colored powders and colored water. It seemed warm out but man, that water was chilly!
 |
| Holi 2020: Jeff and Erica loving Holi! |
A cultural aspect of Holi is that it's a festival of renewal, of forgiveness, of new beginnings. But despite these religious and spiritual foundations, I think Holi is really just an opportunity for adults to act like kids for a day - to get dirty, to get others dirty, to spray each other with water guns, to muss up someone's hair with bright pink powder, and to have fun with it all. Happy Holi!
