Leeds Holi Festival
Joy's story
What a joyful and colorful festival!
I, together with my friends, attend the Holi Festival on 24th March. Before I had even entered church, passionate and joyful music filled the air, lifting the spirits of everybody there. At first, I didn’t know what to expect, thinking Holi was just a usual disco or party with colorful clothes and decorations, but when people began throwing colored powders on me, I was totally immersed in the spirit of Holi Festival, realizing it meant more to the Hindu culture than I’d thought.
It was amazing to see people of different skin colors, different nationalities and different languages gathering together, painting colored powder on each other’s face, exclaiming “Happy Holi!”, with the best wishes and deepest blessings. If you want to let your friends know how much you love them, don’t be afraid to get messy! Playing pranks on your friends or throwing colored powder on them just means you guys are close, and is pretty normal in Holi! I was personally “attacked” by one of my best friends with a large amount of red powder and suddenly became a “clown”. Pointing and laughing at each other, we danced aimlessly to the music and hugging each other tightly as the joyful atmosphere washes over us.
It couldn’t be a better time to relax, release and refresh. During Holi, I had the chance to forget all the pressure and stress of university, just letting myself have a good time and enjoy myself. Happiness seemed to be in everyone, including myself. And it felt so good to show love and respect to those important people in my life.
I’m glad I have the opportunity to attend this kind of festival which I wouldn’t get to do in my home country. Getting to know a new culture is always exciting and experiencing diversified festivals adds interest and colour to my life, making me feel better than ever.
Najwa's story
SPRING IS HERE! I repeat, spring is here.
You must be all wondering what's Holi Festival? It's not just a mere event where people throw coloured powders. As a matter of fact, it's a celebration of spring's arrival that is celebrated by our Hindu friends.
Coming from Malaysia which is a multiracial country, I've celebrated Holi for so many years now. This year is no stranger. If it's your first time celebrating Holi, you'd just need to know three basic things.
- Wear a white shirt. The colours will look so good as your body is literally the canvas and YOU are a walking art.
- Sunglasses is a must. Honestly, people will be throwing the powder everywhere and yes, it will get into your eyes 99.9999% of the time. Also, let's be honest, sunglasses is one's best accessory so really, it's a win-win situation.
- Wear things that you don't mind being ruined. From top to toe, you will be drenched with coloured powder and it will take a couple of washes before they no longer stain your clothes.
So back to the story here, I attended the festival with my fellow friends. It was held at a building called Church (love the name!) which is only 1 minute away from university. People from all over the place came. They had a special spot outside the building for everyone to throw powders at each other.
Once we're done throwing powders, we all went upstairs to the building to dance to good Indian music. The Leeds Indian Student Association who organised the festival also hired a DJ! I don't know about you but I grew up with Bollywood. As soon as they played Radha, Student of the Year, my feet moved languidly across the dance floor. Even if you have no idea how to dance, you'll somehow learn to sway and move your body with the rhythm of good ol' Bollywood. If you want to fit in, I'd suggest you to learn the "changing-the-light bulb" move and yes, you're welcome.
As for the aftermath, we all went back home with one mission - to scrub ourselves clean. For those who have doubts, don't fret. The powder is water-soluble and will come off when you've washed your body. Your clothes and shoes might stain but they will usually be clean after a couple of washes. One best tip for anyone who went to Holi festival would be- use make-up remover.
So quick fun facts about the festival:
- It is held annually and hosted by Leeds University students every year! So, don't miss it.
- The event last from afternoon till night.
- You will be given a couple packets of powder to throw around.
- It is a super fun event and you should attend to one to experience the Indian culture. Honestly, you won't regret it.
I hope that this inspires you to join the festival next year and if you do, I hope that you'd make wonderful memories with your friends.