Holi a festival of colors

I don't know if  you've seen "Outsourced" a movie later turned to a television series but only lasted one season. I learned of Holi watching the movie. I dreamed of one day possibly getting the chance to travel to a far away country to be able to experience this Hindu celebration called Holi. What exactly is Holi? Holi is a celebration of the beginning of spring. The celebration of colors. When spring begins the colors of the earth come out from hiding and are full of life and the feeling that it makes you feel. How many of you love purple, pink, yellow, orange, green, and lets not forget red? When you need a cheer me up you pick something bright. 

I didn't get the opportunity to travel to India to experience Holi. Holi came to me. I learned of it last year, the first ever Holi festival here in the area. Didn't get to go last year due to rain. This year was it's second year and this time I wasn't going to miss it. I'll admit I was a bit nervous showing up and being the only Spanish speaking individual and Heather being the only bright skinned person but I was also excited to go.


We arrived in the parking lot and already wondering if we should turn back around and leave but like I normally do, is I pretend to know what I am doing and walk with such confidence like the phrase says "walk like a boss" into the festival ground. I knew we needed colors so walked right up to the tent where I saw people getting pouches of colors and asked to buy a whole box. The box consisted of five colors: yellow, red, blue, orange, and pink. Depending on the box is what the colors were. They are called Holi colors, spring colors. What you do is cut the pouch open and start tossing the powdered colors into the air filled with festival goers. My favorite was going up to a total stranger and saying happy Holi and touching (caressing) their face with the color. Everyone was so welcoming towards us. They were just a happy crowd. Music was playing so there was also a lot of dancing going on. Food was being sold. If we had yellow and pink but not red a person would come up to us and touch us with green. There was not a bright color missed. I felt like I was in a totally different part of the world. We stayed almost to the end and we did dance to their music.

If you have never experienced a different culture you my friend haven't lived. It was an experience well enjoyed and will be more than glad to attend next year. I don't think I have ever felt so welcomed by a different community in my life time than I had on this day. The day we celebrated spring. Holi is also the beginning of forgetting all the bad and making mends. Me being stubborn that part of Holi would be hard but to help welcome spring with my love and total strangers is my kind of life.

Look forward to it next year. Remember this time next year to say goodbye to winter and hello spring Hindu style, the best way the world could celebrate it.  I also recommend making "Outsourced" the movie a must watch on your list. I guarantee you won't regret it.


Happy Holi friends and enjoy the colors.