Study Abroad and Celebrate Holi like the NRIs do!

A pot full of colors, mouth-watering delicacies, thandai, and togetherness with family, neighbors, friends and colleagues. These are the things that overwhelm our thoughts. Our celebrations. All these things attract a large number of foreigners who became crazy to visit India.

But if you have been planning to study abroad, chances are you are worried about losing out on our rich festivals and cultural heritage. Well, don’t worry! Indians know how to rock every country with their own colors and their own culture.

How is Holi celebrated across the world?

No matter where we go, Indians remain full of color and joy. Whether it is an Indian student studying abroad, or an established and successful Indian with an overseas work permit, Holi is celebrated with full pomp and splendor.

It’s a matter of pride to see an Indian festival has become the landmark of world celebration, where millions of NRIs and foreigners play, dance and celebrate with colors! The festival might have got its root in North India but has definitely touched the hearts of the world.

The USA:

The USA is home to one of the highest number of Indian population. The festival breathes an atmosphere of social merriment. It’s refreshing to see people are clad in red, green, yellow, blue, pink, orange, violet.

The liquid colors are prohibited in the US as the authorities don’t want people to catch a cold on account of the festival. Indian associations and college students mingle with local people to celebrate. The non-stop live music from great bands, dance, cuisines and the rains of colors are the main attractions.

Holi celebrations are famously celebrated in the city of New York. Traditions meet trends. Bollywood actors also take time out to celebrate Holi with the people of the USA. Dance performance, fashion shows and music concerts further add to the festive spirit.

Canada:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “This happy holiday is an opportunity to renew friendships and celebrate peace, but it is also a time to reflect on traditional notions of good and evil, and the ultimate triumph of light over darkness.”

Holi in Canada is not only celebrated by NRIs or Canadians but also by the immigrants across the world. The beautiful nature and the climate of Canada add a feeling of merriment with the arrival of Holi. They decorate their homes with colorful sights.

Be it the younger generation or the section of some older people, they all get covered with vibrant colors of green, yellow, red, silver and black. You can see people dancing and singing in the streets and having fun with each other. Dance groups take part in dance-drama to highlight the story of Holika Dahan. Canada’s peaceful nature gets mingled with the excitement of Holi.

(Image) Holi for the first time in Canada Parliament

The UK:

Indians are the second largest ethnic minority in the UK.  Leicester is the mecca of every Indian festival. Holi is celebrated in the UK since many generations. Like the US, here too, Holi parade is taken out. In the evening people visit their friends and relatives to exchange greetings and sweets. They also apply tilak to mark the traditional joy. Celebrating festivals helps them feel close to their families and cultural roots.

In the evening people visit their friends and relatives to exchange greetings and sweets. Celebrations last for 2 days with a large bonfire lit on the first night and the colors are thrown on the 2^nd day. Like the 31^st night celebration in Indian cities, NRI club owners and socialites host Holi celebrations with various themes Bollywood, Rajasthan, and Holika Dahan myth are the three most popular Holi party themes during Holi in the UK. Songs and dances, refreshments, and loads of colors rejuvenate the ambience and excite people.

Australia:

The celebration of Holi in Australia is similar to that of the UK and the US. Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan is responsible for managing the entire event. Holi is celebrated in the most prominent locations such as Darling Harbor in Sydney. The two-day festival at Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbor gives visitors the chance to enjoy performances and delicious Indian vegetarian food and craft stalls.

Indians in Australia take pleasure in celebrating this festival of colors. NRIs in Melbourne get indulged in the colorful affairs with the diverse multicultural communities of Melbourne. NRIs in Australia bring enthusiasm through the paintings of the rainbow of colors.

New Zealand:

In New Zealand, the popularity of Holi has been growing supremely over the years, as people with different backgrounds and communities take part in this colorful festival. Last year, the New Zealand Parliament celebrated Holi for the first time. The New Zealanders are very warm and friendly when it comes to welcoming Indians. The Parliament welcomed guests who were dressed in colorful traditional Indian attire in front of the presence of Honorable Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Holi is majorly celebrated in Auckland. People gather at the ISKCON Temple at Kumeu.

This is how Holi is celebrated by millions of NRIs across the world. The cultural extravaganza helps the new generation discover their roots. If you have been worried about how you would celebrate when you are in a foreign land, then put your worries to rest. Go happily to study overseas and enjoy every festival, especially Holi in all its colorful spirit.