Happy Holi, Happy Easter: What a weekend!

Time magazine reported that six major religious days co-incided this past Friday.

"Good Friday! Happy Purim, Happy Eid, Happy Holi, etc... In what is statistically, at least, a once-in-a-millennium combination, the following occured on the 21st: Good Friday

Purim, a Jewish festival celebrating the biblical book of Esther Narouz, the Persian New Year, which is observed with Islamic elaboration in Iran and all the "stan" countries, as well as by
Zoroastrians and Baha'is.

Eid Milad an Nabi, the Birth of the Prophet, which is celebrated by some but not all Sunni Muslims and, though officially beginning on Thursday, is often marked on Friday.

Small Holi, Hindu, an Indian festival of bonfires, to be followed on Saturday by Holi, a kind of Mardi Gras.

Magha Puja, a celebration of the Buddha's first group of followers, marked primarily in Thailand..." (Read more from Time)

I played Holi for the first time in decades. This time because my son wanted to. He and a few other children on our floor got together with some "safe colors" which they rubbed on each others' faces and clothes and hair and well...you get the picture. No colored water because it was sooooo windy and we didn't want the children catching a cold. DH was a sport although he claims to hate the festival. (Things can get out of hand because men will sometimes drink too much and we all know the kind of trouble that can cause.)

My mother got some natural color out of a beautiful red flower. That's how they originally played Holi in the olden days.

None of the other mommies on the floor wanted to join in - it's really a north Indian festival and Bangalore is in the south - so the kids had to be entertained by just me. I don't think they minded in the least. I put colorful moustaches on all their faces, followed by warrior motifs and everything else they thought up. :-)

Last December, my son gifted me my best ever Christmas. And now, I got to play Holi because he wanted to. Once again, thank you, Poppet.