Holi - Festival of Colors

Last weekend I took the kids, with some friends to the Holi Festival in Spanish Fork. We went first thing in the morning (highly recommended).

 

In India, Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. The festival breathes an atmosphere of social merriment. People bury their hatchets with a warm embrace and throw their worries to the wind. Every nook and corner presents a colorful sight. Young and old alike are covered with colors (red, green, yellow, blue, black and silver). People in small groups are seen singing, dancing and throwing colors on each other.

 

Holi has long traditional links with several legends. According to one popular legend, the word Holi is derived from the demoness, Holika. She was the sister of Hiranya Kashipu (the name meaning love of gold and a soft bed), a demon king, who having defeated the Gods, proclaimed his supremacy over everyone else in the Universe. Enraged over his son's ardent devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranya Kashipu decides to punish him. He takes the help of his sister, Holika, who is immune to any damage from fire. Holika carries the small boy Prahlad into the fire but a divine intervention destroys her and saves Prahlad from getting burned. Thus Holi is celebrated to mark the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, kindness over cruelty.
Holi is celebrated with special importance in the North of India. It solemnizes the love of Radha and Krishna. The spraying of colored powders recalls the love sport of Lord Krishna and His devotees.

The color, noise and entertainment that accompanies the celebration of Holi bears witness to a feeling of oneness and sense of brotherhood. The festival brings home the lesson of spiritual and social harmony!!

This is us before the colors are thrown. As you walk around people just start throwing color at you.

This was after about an hour of walking around. I decided to get the kids mask because of the dust from the chalk. And I must say it was a great idea!

There were so many college kids there, and with the music and the crowds I felt like I was part of woodstock. Body surfing included.

The first throwing was at 11 am. And happened every hour after that. I didn't know what to expect.

I was super proud of Anthony. He had such a good attitude about the chalk. Both kids really enjoyed it.

 Top left was us right in the midst of the chalk being thrown. I sure wish I had a mask. The bottom row is all our after pictures.

 

Crazy thing was 3 days later I was still finding chalk in my ears!