Happy Holi to all of our friends celebrating today – may your day be filled with light, laughter, and generosity.
Holi, also known as The Festival of Colours, The Festival of Spring, and The Festival of Love, is one of the most popular and significant festivals in Hinduism. The celebration marks the beginning of spring in India, celebrates the eternal and divine love of the gods Radha and Krishna, and the triumph of good over evil. Holi originated predominantly in the Indian subcontinent, but has spread to other regions of Asia and the Western world through the Indian diaspora (the dispersion or spread of people from their homeland).
Pavan Madiraju (he/him), Co-leader of November Project Scioto Mile, grew up in India and remembers the Holi festival as a child. “We would start at one house, and then as we went to more houses, pick up friends along the way. We would first add colors to our cheeks and forehead and then go to a different neighborhood. There would be water cannons and buckets of colored water and everyone was fair game. You would knock on doors and sometimes friends would be hesitant to open them because they knew you were going to surprise them with colors. As you gathered more friends and more colors, you built momentum in your group as more people participated.” Pavan appreciates the Holi holiday because it is a great equalizer of people, no matter your socioeconomic status, there is a great sense of camaraderie through the community that day. The overlap of that sentiment intersects with his experiences at November Project -“Holi is a day you meet with strangers and have a built in sense of camaraderie, which is very similar to showing up to a November Project.”
Lazina McKenzie (she/her), Co-leader of November Project Edmonton, has a different experience with Holi. Born and raised in Canada, her parents were first generation immigrants from Guyana who came to Canada to be proud Canadians. Lazina’s father is Muslim, mother is Hindu, and Lazina and her siblings were baptized as Roman Catholics. Lazina’s parents were focused on bringing the great parts of each of their cultures and blending them with their new community in Canada. Lazina remembers her parents being passionate about talking about differences through the lens of religion as their two families joined and celebrating a LOT as they observed the many celebrations of their cultures. But Holi, when Lazina was being raised, was left out. She attributes this to a sentiment of being “Indian, but we’re not.” Having family roots from Guyana, Indian observed holidays were part of Lazina’s upbringing. These holidays migrated from India to Guyana (and many other places where the Indian diaspora migrated to). Though this was true for many holidays, Holi wasn’t a holiday her family observed. Nowadays, as her family celebrates with the youngest generation (Lazina’s nieces and nephew) , Lazina notices the desire for their cultural traditions to not be diluted. Her mother is doubling down on celebrating Holi with her grandchildren and ensuring that traditions don’t skip another generation. While Lazina sometimes questions why this wasn’t a part of her own upbringing, she finds joy in watching the newest generation of her family participate in the wonder and magic that the Holi holiday brings.
However you’re observing Holi this year – whether you’re joyfully painting a friend’s face or learning about this holiday for the first time – we hope the light of the season finds you.
Share via socials:
