What could be more fun than this? Shooting your sisters and parents with water pistols filled with colored water! Throwing handfuls of dyed corn starch in every color of the rainbow into your brother’s hair. Dancing in the streets wearing rags soaked by the explosion of brightly colored water-filled balloons. Rubbing colored paste into your husband’s cheeks. Dumping buckets of colored water from the upstairs window onto happy children dancing in the street below. Eating sweet pastries and drinking to the joys of life. It’s all a part of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors which will be celebrated in India, Nepal and across the world on Monday, March 1.
So, what’s this happy holiday all about? It’s a celebration of spring, of life and of the diversity of mankind. It’s a religious celebration of the best sort, the sort that brings people of all faiths together to revel in the joy of Good’s eternal triumph over Evil and to laugh and play and love and enjoy one another. Surely, God approves of this!
In Hindu tradition the day commemorates the triumph of Lord Vishnu over Hiranyakashipu, the liberation of mankind from the king of demons. Lord Krishna celebrated the holiday by playing pranks on the gopis (“cow herd girls”), one of whom, his favorite, Radha, had skin much fairer than his own. After complaining to his mother about the differences between his skin and Radha’s, Krishna’s mother applied color to Radha’s face, much as God has applied colors in a spectrum of hues to men and women of all races.
Holi is a festival of renewal and, most importantly, of love, peace and harmony. In the Hindu world it is not only Hindus who celebrate the holiday. Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists join in the fun and festivities in India, Nepal and throughout the Indian diaspora. Who could resist? Even in Kashmir, Muslims and Hindus come together to play Holi!
We need a time out from endless war. We need a break from our litigious and stressful lives. We need renewal for our souls, spirits dragged down by hate, prejudice and greed. We need to run and jump and laugh and play, and shoot each other with water guns, and we need to do it together!
I’ll be jealous next week, knowing that across the world there is a party going on. I’ll be jealous next week, knowing that at least for a day men, women, boys and girls of all faiths are at play. All in the worship of God.
Surely, God approves of this!
PHOTO CREDIT: facemePls/Flickr
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I’m all for a celebration! For me I think I’m going to restructure my lenten activities with Holi. It is time for celebration and to do so I think I’ll give up political opinions, activisim and my own kind of purpose driven life. Maybe I’ll just turn of the television, give up newspapers, stay out of the office, unplug the computer, be a no-show for all scheduled meetings, keep the car in the driveway, eat raw foods and roll on the floor with our four legged sons. Maybe…..
I work with a wonderful, beautiful Indian girl who will become a U.S. Citizen in May of this year. She is a Hindu and very devout in her faith. We have gotten to know her family well through my husband teaching her son piano. She is one of the most loving, “Christ-like” people I’ve ever met.
I asked her if she grew up celebrating Holi and she assured me it’s a wonderful holiday in their culture. Her words were, “it’s full of God’s presence and glory is seen and felt in all of the wonderful colors.”
Surely God approves? I think so.