It’s finally here — this year the vernal equinox falls on Wednesday, March 20th, so that means it’s time to celebrate the arrival of Spring!

Of course, many cultures have traditions to welcome the season, but the one that strikes me as the most beautiful is Holi. It’s also known as the “Festival of Colors” or the “Festival of Love,” and it signifies the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring. It’s considered a day to meet others, forget and forgive, repair broken relationships and just laugh and have fun.

The joyous celebration originated in India and Nepal, and then spread to other areas of Asia and the rest of the world. Here’s a one minute clip from National Geographic that will give you a peak at what it looks like.

I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing a traditional Holi Festival in India, but it’s definitely on my bucket list!

In the meantime, while doing research on Holi, I tripped over something that might provide a short term fix. It’s called The Color Run, and it’s a series of events held around the world that captures a bit of the spirit of Holi.

Here’s a short, official promotional video from Color Run’s YouTube Channel.

It appears that the best part might be at the end when the very colorful participants get to partake in a concert. Here’s a 360° video filmed at Huntington Beach, CA back in 2016 that will give you a sense of that experience.

You can check out Color Run’s events page to find out when an event might be coming to someplace near you. Alas, Boston’s Color Run isn’t until June 9th, which is closer to the summer solstice than the vernal equinox, but technically it will still be Spring then, too 🙂

Happy Holi!

Find out more about color and celebrations …