What is Holi and why is it celebrated?

Holi is a Hindu festival of colours, love, equality and spring. It signifies the triumph of good over evil as it commemorates the victory of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu. It is also a celebration of the eternal and divine love of the Hindu gods Radha and Krishna.

What makes the festival of colours so special?

The special part of this festival is throwing coloured water and powder at each other on the streets. It is a day where everyone comes together, forgets their differences, and paints the streets in vibrant colours with loads of delicious traditional cuisines everywhere.

Holi celebration happens at the end of winter, on the last day of the luni-solar Hindu calendar month. Because of this, the date of the celebration varies from year to year, in 2025 Holi was celebrated on the Thursday 13th of March.

International recognition of Holi

Holi is probably one of the most internationally recognised festivals of India, precisely because of its fun celebration. It has also been linked to other internationally famous festivals before.

La tomatina happens in August and involves throwing a tomato pulp at each other, the aspect of people going out on the street and having a food fight, somewhat resembles the spirit of Holi. 

Another celebration that in a way is reminiscent of Holi is Polish Śmigus-dyngus tradition. This one is also a spring celebration and involves throwing water at each other. Unfortunately, however, this tradition is seemingly dying in Poland and it’s harder and harder to find any large marks of it in the country.

Trinity Indian Society’s Celebration of Holi

Every year, Front Square at Trinity witnesses hundreds of students gathering together and throwing vibrant colours at each other.

The Holi celebrations on campus, organised by the Trinity Indian Society, is definitely a memorable experience that also made it to the news several times. It was covered by the Irish Examiner, University Times, and many more.

Before coming to Trinity, seeing the pictures of Holi being celebrated on campus, definitely made me feel proud and seen. It invoked a sense of community within me and greatly influenced my decision of being a part of this college. 

This year it was celebrated on 13th March, and you could hear the echoes of loud Bollywood music, and see the colourful air around front square whilst walking past.

The best part about this festival is that it is open to everyone and not just specifically designed for Indian students. In this way, it serves as a great opportunity to experience a fun-filled festival whilst participating in a unique cultural tradition.

The event is also open to non-members of the society at a slightly higher ticket price, and if you are ever on campus during this day, it is an absolutely thrilling experience to take part in. 

Global Room’s Holi Celebrations

Talking about Holi celebrations on campus, the Trinity Indian Society was not the only organiser albeit, the most fun one since they were playing with colours outdoors (one crucial element of having an authentic Holi experience). 

Trinity’s global room also organised a fun get-together complete with traditional Indian food from a delicious catering service, making flower patterns on tables, and an exciting quiz and talk about Holi. 

This event, unlike the Indian society one, was free for anyone. It made for a perfect event to go to after the tiring front square celebrations, to rejuvenate, eat some delectable food, and get more cultural knowledge. Or, just a nice evening to experience something new if you did not want to take part in messy play!

Fostering a sense of community and inclusivity throughout campus

Overall, the celebrations of Holi both by a Trinity society and by the Global Room, an international hub for students, helped to foster a sense of inclusivity on campus.

For Indian students, this helps them to feel a sense of belonging when they are far from home missing one of the most fun-filled festivals. At the same time, it helps to spread cultural awareness among other students to make communities feel seen.