The Division of Student Life hosts a Holi fest in honor of the Hindu tradition of the festival of colors
Last Friday, the Division of Student Life hosted a mock Holi festival to honor the Hindu tradition of the festival of colors. Called Holi, this national holiday signifies the start of spring and takes place on the last full moon day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month, usually in March.
The tradition is rooted in a Hindu story of the triumph of good over evil. Holika, a female demon, was the sister of the demon, King Hiranyakashayap. Hiranyakashayap believed he was the ruler of the universe, but his son, Prahlad, turned his back on his father and followed the god Vishnu, the preserver and protector of the universe. In reaction to what he saw as his son’s betrayal, Hiranyakashayap and Holika plotted to kill Prahlad. Holika planned to take Prahlad with her into a bonfire, as she had an enchanted shawl that would protect only her from the flames. In the end, Vishnu saved Prahlad and Holika was consumed by the flames, as her shawl only protected her if she was alone. Vishnu then killed Hiranyakashayap and Prahlad became king.
This triumph of good over evil is the traditional root of the Holi festival. Modern Holi celebrations include a portrayal of Holika’s cremation by creating bonfires on the night before Holi, known as Holika Dahan. Some Hindus smear the ashes from the fire on their bodies as an act of purification. Rangwali Holi takes place all of the next day, where people throw and smear colored powder on each other. This tradition is believed to stem from the Hindu love story of Radha and Krishna. Krishna, a Hindu god depicted with blue skin, had complained to his mother about Radha’s fair complexion. In response, his mother suggests that he color Radha’s skin by smearing her with paint. It is believed that this is where the tradition of smearing loved ones with color came from.
Winthrop’s Holi fest featured face painting, music, hula hooping and of course, the tradition of throwing colored powder. After a brief history of the festival, everyone was given a cup to fill to the brim with powder. On the mark of a countdown, the powder was thrown, and everyone rushed to smear their friends with as much as they could.
Katherine Harper, a freshman psychology major who attended the event, said “I think [the event] was a fun way to experience a culture that I don’t know very much about. Throwing the colors was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. Everyone had fun and I hope they do it again next year!”
Ferrell Holland, a first-year graduate student in the MLA Political and Civic Engagement program, enjoyed the event. “The Holi celebration was a lot of fun,” Holland said. “It’s always a wonderful thing when you get to have first hand learning from other people’s culture in as respectful of a way as possible. I would like to see more events like this where we can get hands on learning of other cultures so to better our understanding and respect for other people.”
