By Anusha Trivedi ’23

Notre Dame’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) recently held a celebration of Holi after school in the 3rd Street Cafe. Holi is a traditional Hindu festival of colors where participants toss colored powders and water at each other. While it originated in India, this event is now celebrated all over the world. Holi occurs every year in March based on the Hindu calendar, which ties to the lunar cycles, and celebrates the beginning of spring after a cold winter. On this day, streets in India are often filled with people dancing and splashing each other with colored water guns. Beyond just the powders and water balloons, many people celebrate Holi by sharing sweets with each other and lighting pyres to symbolize the act of burning evil spirits. One Hindu story behind the origin of Holi is the tale of Holika, the sister of a demon king. When the king sends her to kill his son, the gods spare the son’s life and kill Holika and the king instead, representing the triumph of good over evil. 

During the school day, Notre Dame students were invited to wear free dress colorful tops with uniform bottoms. After school many of them changed into white shirts to partake in the celebration. Members of SASA played lively Indian music, distributed cultural food and provided a photo booth. Regardless of their religious identity or ethnic background, all students were invited to join the colorful and fun event celebrating South Asian culture. “I think the event was a success!” said SASA student officer Aayushi ’23. “I'm so happy that everyone enjoyed the food, music and celebrating Holi! It was nice to see that some of the teachers came to watch and participate as well.”