Festival of Colors

In India, Holi Festival (affectionately called the Festival of Colors), is a celebration once a year to celebrate the start of spring.  Well we like to celebrate it in Utah too.  I've gone 4 out of the past 5 years to celebrate.

We like to dress the same...

Usually around the end of March the Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah opens it's grounds for a huge party where thousands from all over (I come from Idaho about 4 hours away) to throw dry colored paint on each other.  Every hour they have a giant throwing where they count down and everyone throws their colors at once.  Throughout the day they have Indian food, music, meditation chanting, and yoga.  It's quite a joy to participate in.  I love it...hence going back 3 times after the first time I went.  It's such a fun thing to do with a group of friends.

We were clean at one point...

This year some of my friends and I got up super early (6am on a Saturday is early come on people) and drove the long journey (4 hours...maybe I'm exaggerating on the long journey) and went to throw color on each other.  We all start out clean and usually with white shirts because it's more fun that way.
By the end I'm not sure what color we are!?!  Pink, Purple, Green, Orange, and Yellow are the colors you see.

Here are a few tips for going to Holi Festival:

In the middle of the hourly throwing

• Buy a cheap white shirt from walmart...it will get ruined
• Bring cash to the festival.  There's a $3 entrance fee and then the bags of color cost money ($12 for a 5 pack of colors)
• Wear sunglasses.  These help protect your eyes.  You could still get hit with color, but this can block a lot of it.

  

  Lots of people celebrating spring!

• Cover your head and mouth with bandanas...yes you might look ridiculous...but it's so nice not to get color in your mouth and up your nose.
• Cover the car seats you will be leaving in with old sheets or towels so you don't get colors on your seats.  The car owner will appreciate this. 
• Bring garbage bags to put your dirty stuff in.  I also would say to bring flip flops to put on so you can put your dirty shoes in the garbage bag immediately.
• Bring old rags or towels to dust off the color before you ever jump in the shower or get wet.  Adding water to the color is when it starts to really dye things...including skin and hair.
• Have FUN!!

  

  We are awesome<3!!