Exeter Celebrates Festival of Colors
Students clad in white stormed the Wetherell Quad in anticipation for the annual Holi celebration hosted by Hindu Society. As music boomed from speakers, students gathered fistfuls of colored powder and threw it at friends and peers, while others used water guns to spray those around them.
“Holi is the Hindu festival of colors, and it’s a celebration of spring and a celebration of good over evil."
“Holi is the Hindu festival of colors, and it’s a celebration of spring and a celebration of good over evil,” said head of Hindu Society senior Eesha Shah. Traditionally, Holi takes place during the month of March. However, due to the local weather, Exeter hosts it during May. The celebration, which represents the triumph of good over evil in Hinduism, has been a long-standing tradition in India. Bringing the event to the Exeter campus allows Exonians to gain an insight into the customs of Indian culture.
“We usually set the date as soon as possible, either at the end of the previous year or right at the beginning of the school year,” said Shah. She worked with Religious Services Staff Assistant Alexis Simpson to order the color powders and water guns used in the event. Shah mentioned that most of the set up takes place directly before the event, such as filling buckets with water, setting the tables with the powders and fixing up the stereos. As the event unfolded, students enjoyed the colors, listening to Bollywood songs and eating mango kulfi, an Indian ice cream. The event’s vibrance truly brought out the ideas and the joy that the traditional festival represents.
Though the Holi festival is a Hindu celebration, the event was focused on providing a space and time for students from all religious identities to come together and have fun. “I think to a certain extent the idea of Holi is good over evil, and that could mean just to break in the normal school day or just for a little bit of fun,” Shah said.
Shah further explained that the happiness that accompanies the festival ties into its purpose of celebrating spring.
Senior Layne Erickson thought that Holi fulfilled this purpose. “I’ve always felt like Holi really brings us together as a community because it’s a celebration of the joy and beauty we experience in life,” she said.
Students who attended the event loved being able to spend time with their friends and fellow community members. “I loved that I was surrounded by all my friends and that everyone was just so happy to be there,” prep Annie Smalls said. Her enthusiasm was shared by Erickson. “Part of the fun of it is the competition of who can simultaneously get the most colorful while also getting everyone else as dirty as possible,” she said.
Despite the rainy weather, students were still able to enjoy the vibrant colors. In fact, students were so excited to splash each other with water that when some could not reach the buckets on the path, they took it upon themselves to extract the rain water that had formed puddles in the grass.
“Although the weather wasn’t ideal on Sunday, Holi was a very fun experience, and I’m glad that it’s an event that we do every year,” said lower Helen Xiu.
“Even though it was drizzling this year, I feel as though that gave our celebration a more exciting and spontaneous energy,” upper Katie Yang said.
When reflecting on the festival, Xiu also wanted to have more cultural context and suggested that it could be added to the event in the future. “A speaker that talks about the history of Holi before the festivities begin would be amazing,” she said.
Nonetheless, everyone who attended Holi admired how much effort was put into making it as successful as it was. “We really appreciate how Exeter’s [Hindu] Society is willing to share their celebration with us each year, while also being flexible with New England’s weather so that all Exonians can enjoy it,” Yang said.
Reverend Heidi Heath agreed, saying that “Holi is one of my favorite things we do in Religious Services all year. It brings together four of my favorite things: religious practice, cultural immersion, joy and play! I’m so grateful to the Hindu Society, especially Eesha Shah, and Ms. Simpson on our team for all of their work to help make it happen.”
Once again, Holi was a remarkable success this year, bringing Exonians across campus together to celebrate spring and enjoy each others’ company. “If anyone hasn’t been to Holi yet I would absolutely urge everyone to go next year if they can. Holi will always be one of the best and most memorable parts of my Exeter experience,” Erickson said.