This year we celebrated the first days of Spring at the Holi Festival again.
I actually hate being dirty,
and the panic of not being able to breath after the countdown is frightening.
But I love the Festival of Colors.
If you are new to my blog, and miss my post last year, here is a little about the festival:
Holi is a religious festival celebrated by the Hindu Religion that welcomes spring.
People through scented and colored powder into the air and on each other.
There is music and dancing and bonfires.
Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the
fertile land. In addition to celebrating the coming of spring, Holi has
even greater purposes. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's
abundant colors and saying farewell to winter.
Most of the people who attend the Festival here in Utah are BYU students and Highschool students.
It's actually become a bit of an annoyance to see facebook flooded with photos of people going to a festival they know nothing about. People go in silly costumes, and completely trash the temple and the grounds. I even heard one person say "I wish I could be Jewish, so I could celebrate like this."
I rolled my eyes.
But then the festival coordinator walked onto stage while the band behind him was setting up.
He explained the festival a little bit, and said he knew the majority of the crowd wasn't Hindu.
He said that wasn't the point. The point was that we were all together celebrating Spring.
Then he asked us to hug 20 strangers and tell them we love them.
Because that's what this life is all about..
And in the end, God won't ask us what religion we were, or what our job was.
We would be asked if we loved our fellow man.
This photo was before the actual count down.
Thank you kyle for photo bombing another photo,
and thank you for doing it when I had my slr.. instead of my expensive film.
After the throwing.
I actually had to re-bleach my hair.
The colored powder (which is just cornstarch) stained my blonde a nasty green.
And here is my video from last year.. I didn't get video this year.
I actually put my camera away and danced.
I actually put my camera away and danced.
I love this post! I really agree that it doesn't matter what religion you are a part of, how many things you check off your list, etc. I believe all that matters is how you treat other people.
ReplyDeleteAnd what fun pictures. We've been before, but didn't go this year. Maybe next...
woaahh cool!!!!
ReplyDeleteReally cool. Looks like fun!
ReplyDeleteAhhh This looks so awesome! Do they do them everywhere? I've seen the color runs, and they use the colored powder and throw it at the runners. :)
ReplyDeletelove it. I would like to attend this some day!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the not liking to be dirty, that is why I haven't attended the Festival of Colors yet and I probably won't even though it looks like fun. I have to agree with you that what is most important isn't our religion but helping others and seeing that we are all in this together no matter who we are, where we come from, what we look like, or what we believe. I believe God created us all and we need to help each other through the journey of life. I also wanted to say that I love your hair!! I absolutely adore it! I love the blonde with the pink bangs, super cute. And I love your hair cut! You are so beautiful and amazing!
ReplyDeleteThis festival is one of my favourite aspects of Indian culture. I'd love to take photos of this festival one day. Maybe I'll actualy go to India for that.
ReplyDeleteim so glad you went again! looks like so much fun! ive actually thought about doing this kind of thing for my daughters b-day party in the summer!!!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I want to go next year.
ReplyDeleteI went the first few years they held the festival when it was only 1000-2000 people. It was more fun then I think. Not many people knew about it and it was really about welcoming color back into the world after winter. I haven't been in 2 or 3 years because it's just too crowded and I feel people are becoming a lot more ignorant and disrespectful for what the festival should represent. I still try to go to the other Krishna festivals ( they have one almost every month) and its fun to go up there on a random quiet day and just enjoy the beauty of the temple. You can even ask for a personal tour of the place! I highly recommend it! It's a beautiful religion and a beautiful culture. I'm glad you had fun! Maybe next year I'll brave the crowds and go again!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. Brad wanted to go in all white, like with a white tie, and white shorts, and everything like that.. basically be a total jackass.. and I said, that if he did that I wouldn't go with him, and I wouldn't get any pictures with him since it's a bit disrespectful. I've gone to the temple plenty of times for festivals, and mantra chants and music nights. I love it, and it always has a peaceful feeling. Braving the crowds is hard, especially because I HATE crowds, but I like the Holi Fest, and the people who host it know that most of the people who attend are clueless and ignorant, yet they host it each year, and it gets them attention. It's a fun festival, that they don't try to shove down your throat. I think that's why I like it so much.. If other churches out here were to throw a festival, it would be ONLY about religion.. not about spring, or color, or music or fun. You know?
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