Color Me Mine

 

Becky knows how to throw a party. She started a tradition last year where we rent a school bus and drive a whole mess of crazy people down to Spanish Fork, Utah, to the Holi Color Festival. It’s the largest color festival in the United States, hosting over 70,000 revelers over the two-day weekend event on March 29 and 30. The “Festival of Colors” is derived from an ancient Hindu tradition, celebrating the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. Apparently in southern India, friends and neighbors gather in small groups around a bonfire and throw colored corn starch in the air. The Color Festival in Spanish Fork is a little more intense…thousands of people throwing color, music from bands and DJ’s, a yoga pavilion, and some “interesting” Indian food. 

This year there were about 50 of us who cruised down in style (if you can call an old school bus "in style") with dance music playing over the tinny school bus speakers, lots of laughs, and enough adult beverages and sugary kid treats to ensure that everyone was sufficiently happy and celebratory when we arrived.

Me and Marc...bus buds.

Tagg and his buddy Greyson enjoying some snack. You'd be amazed how many suckers,
pretzels and candy two little dudes can eat in a 1-hour bus ride.

Tagg and Sloane after about 15 minutes of the Color Festival.
The glasses only help if you wear them, Boo!

  I think this might be one of my favorite events we do with the kids. They love being able to throw colors at all of the adults, and each other, without getting in trouble. Even when they get a shot of corn starch to the mouth or the eyes, they are still having a ball. By the end of the 2-hours we hang out at the festival, they all look like little orange zombie children. And, without fail, about 10 minutes into the bus ride home they are all dead asleep.

Greyson, Hen-Dawg, and Tagg dusting each other.

My poor Converse may never recover but they do look super cool!

Miss Sloane. She took a shot of green to the face early on
and still had smiles for days.

Marc and Harper...I think I got hit in the face with some orange
right after this photo was taken. You can see Harper plotting it, right?
She's serious...

Sloane, Henry, Tagg and Harper...colorful kids. By the time the day is over,
it's really hard to tell them apart! Next year, I'm getting crazy hats for my kids.
Easy to identify!

 According to the priest at the temple, the event has morphed from a shared religious experience to more of a rock concert environment (check it out) and you can certainly see this when the high school kids are crowd surfing and stuff. These days, I prefer to watch from a perch on the hill while the kids try to dump purple color on my head and throw rocks at the koi pond. 

 I love that the throwing of the colors is a metaphor for rejuvenation or renewal, to leave aside the past, to move with a great positive vision into the future. I think that’s a perfect way to usher in the spring season, especially when we get to celebrate it with such fun and amazing friends and family. And it's a really amazing thing to share with the kids. So next year? Bring on the bus! I'll have some new white clothes and goggles and some kind of hair protecting hat ready to go!

Little Tagg Man. Those eyes...and the best part? He wanted to sit
by me on the way home and as he fell asleep, he made sure that
we were holding hands. Those are the moments you just cherish like gold.

Me and Amy, acting as crazy as we look!
At least our teeth are still white-ish.

The girls...cleaned up (sort of) and sacked out!

Before...

...and After.
My hair was stained rainbow colors for days!

PS...Super glad we don't have to clean cars or the bus after this! Seriously, we tip the bus driver like crazy and it's worth every penny!