Holi traditions to be explored at “Festival Of Colors” celebration in Long Island Children’s Museum

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The Long Island Children’s Museum (licm.org) is inviting the public to its “Celebrate Holi!,”  event, scheduled for Sunday, April 14 (11 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Celebrate Holi! is supported by the Guru Krupa Foundation and JP Morgan Chase & Co, a press release from the Museum said.

“We look forward to a wonderful celebration of Holi for the whole community to enjoy,” says LICM President Erika Floreska. “LICM cultural programs have always served as an invitation; welcoming families to learn from and about each other’s traditions. We know that this colorful celebration will be appreciated by all our visitors and create a long-lasting memory for all visitors.”

During the celebration, families unfamiliar with this exuberant holiday will have the chance to learn alongside those who celebrate annually. Visitors will learn why the holiday is known as the “Festival of Colors” as they take part in the tossing of colored powders made from flowers (known as gulal) on each other. This outdoor activity creates a human mosaic, representing all the colors seen in spring. Color tosses are scheduled at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to wear white clothes for the color toss.

Celebrate Holi! activities include:

• Performances of classical and folk dances by Srijan Dance Company, based on mythological Indian stories.

• Participating in a live rangoli design project, led by Dr. Anju D. Modak, to learn about this traditional artform as they help finalize her rangoli design and make a take-home version of their own using dal (lentils).
• Tasting the sweet and savory traditional foods enjoyed during Holi.
• Decorating a 5-foot papier-mâché elephant – Children and families will add adornment to the elephant, the symbol of intellect and wisdom in Indian mythology.
• Creating Krishna masks – Children will learn about Krishna, the god of love and devotion and the most famous of all the heroes of Hindu mythology.
• Traditional Holi Clothing Exhibit- Photos of Holi Festivals and costumes from different parts of India will be on display at the Children’s Museum.

The Museum has hosted a variety of cultural festivals over the years, including Lunar New Year, Diwali, Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival, a celebration of Korean Culture and a Native American cranberry harvest. All activities and performances at the Holi Festival are included with museum admission.