Holi Celebration Brings Color to Campus

On Saturday March 24, stu-dents gathered in the Hall of Presidents (HOP) to celebrate and learn about Holi, a Hindu holiday. Hosted by the Hindu Student Association (HSA), the event featured presentations on the significance of the holiday, Indian food for participants to enjoy and outdoor festivities.

Students came to the event for various reasons: some for the food, some for the paint and others for the cultural immersion. Prior to the event, HSA members placed bright posters around campus, encouraging their peers to attend. The outdoor festivities included throwing colorful powder, being sprayed by the water hose and swimming in two blow-up pools on Whitnall Field.

“I came for the paint and the food. There’s so much to do: there’s the water pool, paint and everything,” first-year Brian Reagan said.

Also known as the festival of colors, Holi is celebrated during the spring in all areas of the world. It is a religious holiday in the Hindu tradition commemorating the Hindu God, Halika. It is a day of happiness, represented by the bright colors of the powder that participants throw at each other.

“Holi is pretty popular on cam-pus. There was a lot of promotion involved, and we must have had 400 plus people in attendance,” Hindu Student Association mem-ber and first-year Sagar Saxena said. “I gave a presentation on the background of Holi, then ev-eryone had food. Holi goes down deep in Hindu tradition.”

Students focused on the cultural aspect of the presentation while en-joying the company of their peers, eating authentic food and throw-ing colored powder at each other outside the HOP. This has become a tradition to look forward to for some Colgate students.

“I went here last year, so it’s been a tradition for me. It’s just fantastic: you’re running around throwing colors. It’s definitely growing in popularity,” sophomore Ali Meyer said.

Throwing powder was the most popular event of the day, drawing students in to partici-pate in something different and unusual on their Saturday af-ternoon. The event has become famous across the student body, with students viewing it as a pre-graduation requirement.

“We’re both seniors and we’ve always wanted to come. They al-ways have it when the weather is nice,” senior Cloe Bushnell said.

Colgate’s HSA has integrated Holi into the school’s spring cul-ture, making it an anticipated and exciting event, and this year was no exception.

“There were tons of people. Ev-eryone can come to it, it’s like a pre-SPW [Spring Party Weekend],” senior Sonya Falcone said.

Contact Caroline Main at [email protected]