The Indian student affinity group held a celebration in honor of the Hindu holiday of Holi on March 8 after school in the community room.
Holi stands as a joyous occasion for Hindus around the world, celebrating the end of winter and beginning of spring and symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
A well-known component of Holi is the incorporation of colors in the celebration.
“On the first day, you do lots of prayers and rituals,” said junior club member Raghav Iyer. “On the main day, you gather with your family and friends to throw colored powders at each other.”
“The colors symbolize joy and the arrival of spring and the colors you see in nature,” he added.
Iyer gave a presentation on the history of Holi during the event.
The colors symbolize joy and the arrival of spring and the colors you see in nature
— Junior Raghav Iyer
The colors have a deeper meaning as well. Red symbolizes love, green symbolizes new beginnings and blue represents the Hindu god Krishna.
There are many ways that people celebrate the holiday, including celebrations that involve water guns, water balloons or bonfires.
During Beachwood’s celebration of Holi, students participated in a variety of fun activities while also indulging in some delicious samosas and bhel puri.
“In the back we had a carrom board (an Indian board game) and we had a giant sheet of paper with a rangoli (traditional indian design) for people to color,” Iyer said. “The paper was later hung up on the wall where all the club posters are.”
Considering that this was the first time that a Holi celebration was held at BHS, the Indian affinity group was pleased with the number of people who showed up.
Student Activities Coordinator Craig Alexander counted 40 students and eight staff members in attendance.
“We had more people than we expected,” Iyer said.
