Beyond Colors: What Holi Means When You’re Away from Home

Pujit Siddhant

Mar 12 2025

<div class='bc_element' id='bc_element'1 style=' background:#null;color:#null;font-family:null;width:auto;padding:5px;max-height:100%;'><span><p>“It’s Just a Party, Right?”</p><p>Holi hits differently when you’re in the U.S. You’re no longer in the middle of a neighborhood where kids are running around with water balloons, where uncles are playing dhol after a few too many drinks, or where everyone just casually stops by each other's homes without an invite. Instead, you’re at a festival in a parking lot, where the colors come in pre-packed pouches, a DJ plays the latest Bollywood EDM remixes, and entry costs $25 per person.</p><p><br></p><p>It’s fun, but it’s not Holi Holi.</p><p><br></p><p>And if you’ve lived away long enough, you start wondering—what exactly does Holi mean when you take it out of India? Is it still about good winning over evil? Is it just an excuse to party? Or is it something else entirely?</p><p><br></p><p><b>What They Don’t Tell You About Holi</b></p><p><br></p><p>The popular version of Holi goes like this: Holika, a demon, tries to burn Prahlad, a devotee of Vishnu. The fire doesn’t harm him, but it consumes her instead. That’s why we light bonfires on Holi. That’s why it’s about good triumphing over evil. Except that’s just one version.</p><p>Across India, Holi has different meanings. In Mathura, it’s about Radha and Krishna’s love. In Punjab, it’s connected to Sikh history. In South India, the story of Kama, the god of love, comes into play. Holi is many things at once—it’s a festival of colors, yes, but it’s also about renewal, rebellion, playfulness, and letting go. So what does that mean for the Holi we celebrate abroad?</p><p><br></p><p>In India, Holi is chaotic. You don’t need tickets or organized venues. You don’t check the weather before playing. You don’t worry about the colors ruining your outfit because that’s the whole point.</p><p><br></p><p>In the U.S., Holi is...organized. It’s often hosted by college clubs, community organizations, or event companies. There are official start and end times. There are food stalls selling samosas at triple the price. There are rules about which areas you can throw colors in.</p><p><br></p><p>It’s easy to dismiss this as commercialization, but maybe it’s just the way festivals adapt when they cross cultures. Just like how Thanksgiving in India doesn’t have the same emotional weight as it does in America, Holi in the U.S. takes on a different role. It’s less about religion, more about community. Less about tradition, more about nostalgia.</p><p><br></p><p>And honestly, that’s okay.</p><p><br></p><p><b>Holi Is What You Make It</b></p><p><br></p><p>The idea of Holi—letting go, starting fresh, finding joy—transcends location. Maybe you celebrate it at a big-ticket event with a DJ and a color fight. Maybe you just call up an old friend and laugh about childhood Holis back home. Maybe you don’t play at all but still take a moment to mark a fresh start in some way.</p><p><br></p><p>At the end of the day, Holi isn’t about where you are. It’s about what you take from it.</p><span></div>

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