Sunday, April 11, 2010

The Festival of Colours

[Holi is celebrated on the last full moon in the lunar month of Phalgun, which fell on March 1 this year. The festival celebrates the Advent of Spring, though given the nature of seasons in India, it is often the only day of Spring.]


You can use dry dry herbal colours that wash off easily. Or use a paste of almost indelible aluminum paint.
You can buy your colours from a store. Or soak flowers overnight to extract your own colours.
You can smear colours on a person’s face before giving them a hug. Or throw balloons with coloured water from behind.
You can play with your friends, and use the festival to make new ones. Or play dirty and get your revenge on enemies.

Whatever you prefer, you have to celebrate Holi, to bid goodbye to winter and herald the advent of summer.


______
Drabbles from around the world celebrating the many facets of Spring, only at the Burrow.

A drabble is a story told in exactly 100 words.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sounds like such a fun event!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Any photos I've seen of Holi make me smile -- what a great way to celebrate spring!

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I liked this, seems like alot of fun.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Yvonne.

Elisabeth said...

Mountainous piles of powdered colours. this is a wonderful way to celebrate.

Jan Morrison said...

oh, I've always loved this idea - perhaps this is the original 'holi'day!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Only day of spring? Sounds like North Carolina here in the States! LOL

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

So what did you do for Holi?

Ann Elle Altman said...

Interesting drabble. Don't know the celebration but the colors are fantastic.

ann

Jemi Fraser said...

I have a girl from India in my classroom who has participated in several Festival of Colours. The pictures are incredible!

Marjorie said...

I would LOVE to visit India during Holi.

Natasha said...

@ Fiona, Yvonne - it is great fun. I particularly like it when you play with coloured powders and water, so it washes off easily.

@ Debra - it is a great way to celebrate the transition from winter to summer, isn't it?

@ Elisabeth - to be honest, the picture is from Diwali, when we use those piles of colours to make patterns on the floor. Holi colours look similar, but are sold in packets so they are easier to use.

@ Jan - when I was younger, that is exactly what I always said. At that time, I was petrified of getting dirty, though.

@ Diane - lol. Oregon, too, I am told has a couple of hours of spring.

@ Alex - I was hoping the question wouldn't come :-) This year, I had a Board Meeting on that day, so was togged out in my most formal formals, and talking about business plans and revenue projections. Hubby and kids had fun, though.

@ Ann - thank you. The celebrations are simple- you just smear colours on everyone you find.

@ Jemi - they are, aren't they? Will post pictures soon.

@ Marjorie - we once had an internal workshop starting the day after Holi, and asked people to come a day early. Everyone loved it so much, we even had the photograph we took that day on the official website for a bit.

Unknown said...

Very interesting...I like the idea of this celebration into Spring! Beautiful colors!

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