COVID-19 Forces the Cancellation of Holi
March 25, 2020
Due to the global outbreak of Coronavirus, our world has been taking precautions to halt its spread by taking part in social distancing. Schools worldwide are closed, festivals including Coachella have been canceled, and professional sports leagues have placed their seasons on hiatus. The same goes for the Spring Indian holiday, Holi.
Many people who were preparing for festivities on this colorful holiday with friends and family are now becoming more and more cautious of being near one another. Holi, initially scheduled for March 9, is a celebration of colors, springtime, and new beginnings. The holiday signifies that good wins over evil, and was originally a Hindu holiday celebrated predominantly in the North, but now is celebrated by all. It is also similar to Thanksgiving in that people spend time with family and give thanks for food and harvest. In celebration of the commencement of spring, observers of the holiday drench each other in colored powder. It is a holiday that stands for and highlights inclusion; anyone is encouraged to participate in the celebrations and is welcomed with open arms.
Surely, there will be many people left devastated without their annual celebration of the upcoming season. According to Market Watch, the number of water gun and powder sales plummeted in India. The number of Coronavirus cases increased by 47 in New Delhi. “People are scared this year, we have canceled our event,” Anshuman Ghulati, festival director of Holi Moo, one of the biggest Holi events in New Delhi said. Still, many ignored recommendations and continued to partake in the events according to Fox News.
Currently, safety remains everyone’s top priority during these desperate times, and Holi will have to be put aside for the time being. There have been discussions of having an alternative celebration of Holi in the summer, however. “I hope it’s not still bad by the time summer comes around, I would really like to celebrate with friends and family,” concluded Illina Goyal ‘22.