All-American Holi: Indian Americans Celebrate Advent of Spring With Colors, Music, and Food
- In the U.S., the festival is more of a social event, where people of all religions come together to observe the festival.
From backyards to college campuses and from parks to temples and community centers, Indian Americans gathered this past weekend to celebrate Holi, the festival of colors. The beautiful weather across the country prompted many to come out and observe the festivities with family, friends, music, and lots of food. The young and the old alike got into festive spirits as they smeared each other with colored powder, turning the air into a joyful kaleidoscope of color. Bollywood music blasted in the background.
Top photo: Holi festivities at University of California, Berkeley.
In the U.S., the festival is more of a social event, where people of all religions come together to celebrate and feast on Holi delicacies like ghujiya, bhujiya, malpua, matthi, puran poli, and thandai.
Thousands gathered to celebrate Holi at the South Street Seaport in New York City on March 24. The event was organized by The Culture Tree. “It’s like letting go of all your inhibitions and just starting fresh and enjoying life,” founder Amu Sehgal told CBS News.
In Chicago, Holi was celebrated at the Navy Pier on March 23. Similarly, in San Diego, celebrations at the Hourglass Community Park included kids’ performances, music, and Indian food. The event was hosted by CRY America – San Diego Action Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring basic rights to underprivileged children.
The largest Holi celebrations are held each year at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. This year the celebrations will be held on March 30.
