‘Life is supposed to be bright and colourful’: student
By: Veronica Melanson
Shades of pink, purple, yellow, and blue filled the main hallway of Red River College Polytechnic’s Exchange District Campus earlier this month as the Red River College Students’ Association (RRCSA) hosted its debut Holi Hallway Celebration event.
Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, is one of the most celebrated holidays in India and originates from Hinduism. The festival marks the beginning of spring and symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
“It’s to acknowledge that we burned all the sins, that we have done all the bad habits that we have,” said Prachi Chawla, RRCSA’s vice president of external affairs.
During the Festival of Colours, RRCSA served Indian food, like samosas and sweets, to students to celebrate.
In India, the Festival of Colours begins the night before with a bonfire. The next day, people celebrate by playing with colours and water with their loved ones and friends. They throw powdered and liquid colours and splash water at each other.
To incorporate Holi colours in the event, RRCSA set up a station for students to paint hats, tie-dye t-shirts, and add to a large painting.
“We cherish Holi together — life is supposed to be bright and colourful,” said Chawla. “The colours bring brightness to your life.”
This event reminds Tanij, a Business Administration student at RRC Polytech, of her culture and life back home in India.
“It is a reminder of our culture and the things we enjoy doing in India,” said Tanij. “I painted a shirt with my cousins’ names on it to remember them back in India.”
Chawla said the goal of the Holi Hallway Celebration is to bring the holiday to RRC Polytech, elevate students’ moods, and bring brightness to their lives.
“In India, we used to play with colours and water, but it is not possible here. So our programmer planned this and made it possible,” said Tanij.
Chawla said celebrating and hosting cultural events is a priority for the RRCSA.
“Each and every day equally, each and every culture. We want to make students feel like they are always welcomed and at home,” said Chawla.
The Exchange District and Notre Dame campuses will be celebrating other upcoming RRCSA cultural events, like St. Patrick’s Day, African Drumming, Turban Pride Day, and Latin Night.
