Let the fun begin: 5 types of people you’re sure to bump into during Holi
The gregarious and jovial nature of Holi and the light-heartedness that surround the celebrations make the Festival of Colours a hit across India. But which of these characters do you like splashing colours on the most?
No Indian festival has the joie de vivre of Holi. Parents and children, young and old, friends and acquaintances and office co-workers come together to smear each other with colour and partake of traditional delicacies on this day.
Every Holi celebration in India is unique. It could be a morning affair, an all-day soiree or a party, but there are some things in common – loud music blaring from speakers, containers full of bhang waiting to be glugged down, and the presence of certain characters who you keep bumping into.
Let us introduce you to five characters you are sure to meet on Holi...
Holi is a time of crazy fun and a rainbow of colours
The one who is a reluctant Holi-dayer
The disinclined Holi player starts off by disdainfully saying that he won’t play this year. S/he would rather spend his time watching the latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale. But with some persuasion and emotional blackmail, he comes around to the idea of gulal, pichkari, and loud music. And then he takes over, drinking, dancing and frolicking as if he was born to play Holi!
The one who’s firing on all cylinders
There’s always that friend whose idea of Holi is to focus on maximum impact, collateral damage be damned. He walks into a party brandishing a huge Holi pichkari and mouthing his war cry “shots, shots, shots”. This high-spirited person will ensure that everyone around him gets their share of colour. Offence is the best defence, isn’t it?
The one who loves Holi to bits
Holi heralds the arrival of spring after winter and for many people, it is one of the biggest celebrations of the year
No group of friends is complete without that one person who loves and lives for Holi. S/he creates a WhatsApp group a month before the festival, has done the research on which Holi party is the best in town and even has an outfit planned for the day. No amount of gulal, silver pukka rang, or water balloons can dampen the spirit. The Holi wishes you receive from this person are the most gregarious you’ll receive all day!
The one who seems to be in a perpetual trance
Holi parties are synonymous with loud music. It could be either Bollywood or a mix of rock/electronic/psychedelic trance. Maybe it’s the bhang, but psychedelic trance and Holi make perfect bedfellows. This friend is all about psy; take him anywhere, colour him anyway you want, give him your choice of drink… all he wants to do is sway to psy trance for hours.
The one who keeps cribbing through the day
The last and – let’s be honest - the most exasperating is the friend who only pretends to like Holi. S/he’s the one who sounds out instructions as you approach with colour and Happy Holi greetings. You’re allowed to apply colour on either cheek or must restrict yourself to a streak on the nose. Any violation leads to high-pitched screams. No wonder we end up dunking the entire bucket of coloured water on his or her head. Holi hai!
Watch out for these characters as you gear up to play with colours and let your hair down. Happy Holi!