This past weekend some friends and I went to an event sponsored by one of the clubs at our school through student life. I’ve talked about the cheap-o ski trip my student life office offered. And now I’m going to talk about this one. This one was free and a ton of fun. If you don’t already know what’s available through your student life office, I seriously suggest you go check it out.
We went to a Holi celebration at our local Hindu temple. What is Holi? From what I learned, it’s a multi-meaning holiday. It’s there to celebrate the coming of spring, the battle between good and evil, and COLORS! Participants smear and throw colored chalk on each other. Here’s some things I learned about the colors themselves:
- People were very generous sharing theirs with us, but if I went again, I think I’d bring some of my own.
- When putting colored on a person, you’re trying to cover an area that is not already colored. Especially on the face.
- It’s traditional to wear all white to the event, but not at all necessary. We got many comments, “Oh, that’s perfect for Holi!” from a bunch of the temple’s regular patrons dressed in jeans and normal t-shirts. I guess I’d rather be overdressed than underdressed!
- The chalk washes out of hair and skin really easily. 😉
UPDATE
I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about two specific Holi related issues. Here are my answers:
1. Where can I buy Holi chalk?
Knowing where to buy Holi chalk depends on your locale. But I found some online at Amazon. Just click on the below picture and it will take you right there.
2. How do I wash Holi chalk out of my hair?
I have my own story about Holi which I’ll share soon on my blog – from my childhood. So glad you have a good one. Looking forward to connecting with you more..
Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to reading it!!
This is so cool. I first learned about this from the movie “Outsourced”, and it looked like a lot of fun. Glad you got to experience it!
It was a ton of fun. Worth looking up your local temple for next year…from what I can tell they’re pretty open to visitors. At least at these events.
I saw holi on the amazing race (i think). i am totally checking out holi with the nearby temple. i don’t know why i didn’t think to ask about it earlier. sort sounds like the “color run.”
I think sometimes we are afraid to intrude or that we will not be welcome at cultural events like this one. So we know it goes on…but never think to look into it because we feel like it’s not ours. Which it’s not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t experience it. The people at the temple I went to were very friendly and welcoming. The only thing I would advise is to bring a donation. They may not require it or even request it, but if they do, I wouldn’t want to be “that guy.” I’d say $10 is a sufficient “just in case” number.
That sounds AMAZING! I have to admit that my first thought was “what a mess” but sometimes the best things in life are a little messy! 😉
Thanks for stopping by and linking up to The BEST Day EVER (…this week)! Look forward to hearing about your best day next week, too!!!
It WAS a mess. But everything cleaned up surprisingly easily. I have to wonder if it was because of the type of chalk used. So fun.
No problem. Thanks to you guys for hosting…looks like it’s starting to pick up some real steam!