A cross between a rock concert, paint ball party and religious festival

Holi Festival of Colors, Spanish Fork, UT (photograph Thomas Hawk)

If you thought Utah was just for Mormons and Mitt Romney, you missed the Hindi Holi Festival held at the Sri Sri Radha Krisha Temple, in Spanish Forks Utah on March 24-25th, 2012.

The Hindi Holi festival announces the coming of spring and the passing of winter.

The Hindi festival of spring is meant to throw away winter, bury the hatchet to whatever evil might have transpired during the dark days of winter.

People are expected to show uninhibited (to some extent) exhilaration.

Hindi Holi, the throwing of colors (Proto: UtahValley.com)

Visible signs of newness and light are people putting on multi-color clothing, and the throwing scented powder and purfume at each other every two hours.

Bonfires are lit, and people sing and dance away their cares and welcome the new season of birth.

Social norms are lowered as young and old, high and low caste mingle together to celebrate joy and each other.

Rites of spring are common throughout most cultures. Holi is probably the most colorful.

Photo Credit – Thomas Hawk, Flickr