Holi” or the “Festival of the Colors” is an ancient Hindu tradition which is celebrated all across India and also in Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, among many other places, and announces the arrival of spring.
As has become a tradition, this year, the Holi Festival was once again celebrated in Macau yesterday thanks to the initiative of the Indian Culture Association of Macau, which painted the Pousada de Coloane in Cheoc Van in all the “Holi” colors yesterday.
Participants at the festival have been growing in number since its founding in 2010, according to the head of the organizers, Victor Kumar, who spoke with the Times.
“It’s getting bigger, more people every year… And more fun,” said Kumar, noting that the number of participants during the first hour of the event exceeded 200.
Questioned as to whether this fit the organizers’ expectations, Kumar said, “it’s good, I believe if the weather had given a little help we could have even reached 300 or more,” referring to the heavy rain that fell all morning on Sunday.
Nevertheless, the misty weather and some threats of showers did not discourage the crowd that did brave the weather, a crowd multicultural in character and filled with spirit.
Explaining the festival and its connections to the region, Kumar stayed away from the idea of the festival’s background being rooted in Hindu mythology and the obvious link to Indian culture, instead commenting, “This is a festival to celebrate life, to celebrate passion and to celebrate all those who do things with their hearts,” he said.
“[It’s] more than to celebrate the Indian culture [and actually] is to celebrate all cultures, the interconnection between people from different cultures… And above all, [the idea is] to be happy and to have fun.”
Fun that did not seem to elude the crowd, which kept dancing the whole afternoon while smearing each other with the colorful powder, the essence of the celebration.
One participant, Carrie, was said to have come from Hong Kong for the event in Macau, as did several other participants.
“I hope to have some fun while having a few drinks with friends and that’s it… it’s all about having fun.” The great majority of the group of friends was not at the event for the first time, having already participated in previous years.
The program, as promised by the organizers, included several activities and games, as well as presentations from other local groups such as the Macau Samba School. One feature was some cultural Brazilian samba drummers, an act which Kumar added a twist to, simultaneously adding some traditional Punjabi sounds.
Earlier on, the celebrations started with a special “colorful” yoga session.
In this commemoration of the “triumph of good over evil” represented in the festival’s roots, colors filled the air to the rhythm of a DJ set and drums in the terrace of Pousada de Coloane. Kumar was thrilled with the venue, noting that it “is not easy to find places in Macau that can hold these kind of events.”
As for next year, there is the definite promise of more Holi Festival activities in Macau.
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