Holi, Holi, Holi!

This is the celebration I've been most anticipating for so many reasons. There is so much I could say about this event simply because the culture that it originated in is very rich and filled with a long history.

Honestly, I have no first-hand experience with the culture or this celebration, but I will do my best to describe it in some detail while containing my excitement.

Holi is a religious festival held every year among the Hindu people to celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring. It does have some religious meaning as well present in Hindu mythology. The event is also known as The Festival of Colors which represents many colors of spring. During the festival people throw colored powder at each other.

While Holi is a Hindu festival, it is celebrated in many other places across the world. It has even come to my university (UCO) and will be held on April 9th! I have never participated in this celebration, but I think this is my year!

I wish I had more insight on this festival because it definitely shares a "colorful" side to an already diverse culture. But here's a blog from someone who has a different perspective than mine here.

UPDATE: UCO's Holi Festival has been moved to April 11th due to weather. Hope to see ya there!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

OK I'll be honest, I've never actually seen anyone celebrate St. Patrick's Day... St. Patty's Day? I think the most my family did for this year's St. Patty's is buy a cookie cake.

But if I could celebrate St. Patrick's Day one year it would be at Dublin, Ireland for their FOUR day St. Patrick's Festival! FOUR DAYS to celebrate St. Patty's with millions of people.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

While St. Patrick's Day started out as a religious tradition, commemorating Saint Patrick, it grew into celebrating the ethnicity of the Irish people. The St. Patrick's Festival started in 1995 to showcase the talents and achievements of the people of Ireland, and where it once was a one day event it grew to four days in 2001.

This event is filled with all the makings of a great party. Enjoy parades, music, and dancing where you can eat, drink and be merry with millions of other strangers! If they were strangers before, they won't be at the end.

This is that time of the year when you can celebrate being Irish!... Even if you're not..