Happy Holi

Yesterday was Holi Hai, the Indian Festival of colors celebrated around the world-- which includes New York City and New Jersey.

About Holi Hai:

Holi and the following day, Dhuleti, are known as the Indian Festival of Color. Playing Holi or sharing colors is a highlight of this holiday. Gifts of sweets or Holi colors are common and greeting cards are often sent.

The holiday is observed all over India and celebrates the harvest of the winter crops as it welcomes the beginning of Spring. Holi is called Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima in Bengal, Rangapanchami in Maharashtra, Kamavilas, Kaman Pandugai or Kaman-dahanam in South India.

No matter which part of India the festivals are in or which gods are involved, they are feasts of color and usually involve sprinkling colored waters and gulal, brightly colored powders, on the gods and on the other revellers. Balloons filled with colored waters are splashed on friends and anyone else who happens to be near.


If you can imagine a holiday that combines Thanksgiving, Carnival and Valentine's Day with the colors of Easter — but where people get colored instead of eggs — you have some idea of why this holiday is so eagerly awaited.

In some parts of India, Holi is also considered a New Year's celebration! This festival finally arrives on the full moon of the Hindu lunar month of Phagan. When is Holi on the Western calendar? Holi in 2011 will start on Saturday, March 19 with celebrations continuing until Sunday, March 20.

Here are some pics from the Holi Hai celebration in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in NYC- it was a blast.

Now you may know (or not) GA is a fan of the Bollywood genre and the festival was sponsored by NYCBhangra, an organization that promotes Indian dance. So, aside from having my face smeared with colors by strangers, the most fun was learning to bust some new Bollywood moves... lines for food were too long so took a pass.  Anyway, catch the festival next year for  a great (and colorful) time.

Dance lesson

 

Before I got smeared with red and yellow

Happy Holi, y'all!