On the second day, known as Dhulandi, people spend the day throwing coloured powder and water at each other. The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the coloured powders has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors. A special drink called thandai is prepared, sometimes containing bhang Cannabis sativa. People invite each other to their houses for feasts and celebrations later in the evening.
So whenever I'm feeling down on Valentine's Day because it seems like everyone else is on a romantic trip to Branson Missouri or getting lots of jewelry, I think about Holi. Granted, most days of the year I see that most guys are just gross & smell bad, but on Valentine's Day even I get lonely. It makes me smile even though I don't practice it, although I wish I could throw brightly colored paint on people.
2 comments:
Oh THANK you. I am so TIRED of the freaking VDay commercials showing people who have probably known each other all of three months gushing over how they met on eHarmony or buying each other $10K worth of diamonds or some such nonsense. I am WAY to cynical to celebrate this holiday. I never did even when I had a husband. Now that he's gone? PUH-LEEZE.
Holi is the BOMB.
This is interesting. How about a mixture: chocolate and curry. :)
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