Having moved from India to the U.S. when she was 7 years old, Lekha Multini, junior, has experienced two different versions of the spring festival Holi.
Holi is celebrated by Hindus by throwing colored powders on one another. The date of this festival can be different every year, but it always takes place in March. This is because it is held on the last full moon of the month of Phalguna, according to the Hindu calendar.
In India, almost everyone celebrates the holiday so it often felt as if the celebration never would end, Multini said.
“Everywhere you go, it’s just colors,” Multini said.
In the U.S., she celebrates Holi by visiting designated parks where Hindu families gather to throw colors. The celebration is a lot less extravagant, Multini said, but nonetheless she is glad to keep her tradition of celebrating Holi alive even while living in the U.S.
Multini enjoys the music and dancing that comes with Holi, along with the quality time she spends with her friends.
After celebrating with colors, she comes home to eat dinner with her family and friends. Her mother makes special food on the day of Holi, such as tamarind rice as the meal and kalakand, a sweet cheese confection, as the dessert.
Her family also spends time spring cleaning around their house during Holi.
“I think it’s important because it’s a tradition in India that has been followed through many generations, and we have to keep it going,” Multini said.
Amol Bansal, freshman, said Holi is important because it’s a day for him to bond with his family.
“In high school, I’m really busy, but Holi is like a day off where I can spend time with my family and friends and just have fun,” Bansal said.
Bansal said his family spends almost the entire day at parties celebrating with their friends.
“Typically we throw colors around just for fun, but the festival is more than that,” Bansal said.
After the day festivities, his family prays in the evening.
Bansal said he introduced Holi to some of his friends in eighth grade when he celebrated the festival at Crestview Middle School (CMS).
CMS hosts an annual Holi event for all students to encourage and recognize festivities of other religions. The event was started in the 2021-2022 school year by two parents and Betsy Kacena, social worker, has helped continue the event since then.
“I usually just stand back by the speaker while the music plays and watch the students and staff throw colors, laugh, and have the best time yelling and running around with their friends,” Kacena said. “It’s truly one of my favorite moments to witness at CMS.”
Last year, about 100 students participated in the event. A lot of leadership roles are given to students to help run the event, such as student volunteers creating posters after school, presenting a slideshow of what to expect and leading a dance celebration at the end of the event.
“I feel that exposure to different cultures and religions helps us to appreciate and cultivate respect for other people’s perspectives,” Kacena said.
The MHS Indian Student Association (ISA) also hosts a Holi event for students. This year, the event was celebrated on Saturday, March 15, on the Marching Band Practice Field. Navin Ramamoorthy, senior, is the co-president of the ISA, and was proud that the number of people who attended the event doubled from last year.
Ramamoorthy said ISA encouraged Hindu students to invite all friends to the event, even those who don’t typically celebrate Holi.
“It’s important to make sure that everyone’s culture is spread throughout the school and that everyone feels appreciated and included in school,” Ramamoorthy said.
A variety of food was offered, such as samosas, a pastry filled with vegetables. Students from all grade levels enjoyed meeting each other and celebrating with one another, Ramamoorthy said.
“There are still ISA members that I don’t know, like some underclassmen that I don’t usually hang out with, but it was fun throwing colors on them and getting to talk to them,” Ramamoorthy said.
