March 23, 2016
1 Comment
One of the most famous festivals in India is Holi, the festival of colors. It happens every year all over India in the beginning of the Spring, and it's been replicated worldwide, with people throwing colorful powders at each other, lots of music, water guns, and a good amount of fun.
People celebrating Holi
In case you're spending Holi in India for the first time, here are some tips which could be helpful for you (specially if you're a woman):
1. Colors:
Whenever buying colors, give preference to natural over chemical ones. Chemical colors have a number of substances which can damage your hair, skin and clothes.
Colors being sold for the Holi festival. Source: stagetecture.com
2. Places:
Holi is specially famous in Northern India, specially in places like Rajasthan, Delhi, Mathura and Varanasi. If you're a girl, avoid spending Holi in the middle of the streets in case you are alone or accompanied only by other girls. Many Indian girls rather spend Holi with their families, so it's a day where it's common to see many men celebrating it in the streets. Consider it's a festival where you apply colorful powders on many different people (friends and also strangers) and they do the same back at you, which requires some touching and skin contact. Therefore it's advisable to do a proper research in advance on the best and safest places to celebrate this joyful occasion. Many cities offer a good number of parties, where you can go and minimize the risks of unwanted behavior or attention from strangers.
Playing Holi with the children from Rays, our partner NGO
Children from Rays playing Holi
3. Clothes:
White or light colored clothes are preferred and considered a tradition. They also look great, as the colors stand out. Make sure to wear old clothes, which will not be missed in case they get stained or ruined, and loose fitting clothes. Note that it's very common for people to get wet during Holi, due to water guns, pools, hoses, etc, therefore light fabrics can potentially become transparent (a tank top under a white T-shirt could solve the problem), and tight fitting clothes can become even tighter. Avoiding unwanted attention is the best way to enjoy the festival to its fullest.
Light colored and loose fitting clothes are good options for Holi. Photo: Karol Bak
4. Footwear:
Leather shoes or sneakers can get wet or stained, so rubber flip flops are an ideal option. Make sure your footwear doesn't slip, specially after it gets wet.
Rubber flip flops are a good option for Holi. Photo: Karol Bak
5. Make Up and Eyes:
If you'd like to wear any make up, waterproof is the ideal option, and make sure to previously apply sunscreen, as Holi is an outdoor festival. For men and women, not wear contact lenses, as the colors can fall into your eye, causing irritation. Sunglasses are a good option, as they also protect the eyes from the colors, but make sure they are not your favorite expensive ones.
The sunglasses sure protected his eyes from the colors! Photo: Karol Bak
6. Hair:
Ponytails and braids are good options for hair styles during the festival. Make sure to apply a good amount of oil on your hair before, specially if you have a light colored hair. Some pigments may take weeks to fade away from the hair, in case you're blonde or red-haired.
American celebrity Lauren Conrad had her hair pink for weeks after spending Holi in India. Source: MTV
6. Personal belongings:
Carry as little as you can, like some money and mobile. Keep in mind that handbags can also get ruined, so give preference to waterproof bags, or wrap your bags or belongings in a plastic bag so they do not get damaged. The same applies to professional cameras.
Holi is a really fun and great festival and, taking the right precautions, it's possible to have a day you'll remember for a lifetime!
At Happee, we love colors not only during Holi, but all year round. You can check out some of our colorful products over here.
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Laurina Guerrieri
March 23, 2016
Thank you very much.
Good post.
Namaste
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