Holi is super fun for many of us and many cannot wait for the festival to come around each year. Some of us feel obligated to celebrate because not doing so would appear churlish and poor-spirited. So unless you plan to completely stay away from the festivities by locking your door, being out of town or claiming bereavement in the family, some of these Holi dos and don'ts will help:
It is a great idea to use dried and powdered flower petals or to use natural things like turmeric (haldi) to play Holi. If you opt for packaged ‘herbal’ colours, be sure to read the ingredient list to ensure that they really are safe. In any event, avoid the bright purples, greens and yellows as these are most likely to have the harmful ingredients and definitely avoid the 'pukka' colours.
In spite of your own best efforts you don’t know what sort of colours others bring along. So it is best to wear long sleeves and pants and to keep as much of the skin covered as possible to avoid direct contact with any harmful ingredients that the colours may have. To protect nails, cut them as short as possible and then apply a layer of petroleum jelly to protect from colour and damage.
After the celebration is the cleanup. To make it easy, apply oil liberally to the skin and hair before you start playing Holi. The oil prevents the colour from permeating into the skin and makes it easier to wash / scrub it off. Good old coconut oil, almond oil or mustard oil; or even baby oil are a good bet.
Remember Holi is played outdoors (unless you're willing to let your home be trashed) so, give a thought to sun protection as well. Sun screen will not only protect against the sun, it will also give an additional layer of protection against the colour (the eggs, mud, beer or whatever other revolting substances they decide to smear you with).
Sunglasses are a great idea to protect your eyes and to save from the headaches that direct sun causes some of us. Plus they up your cool quotient!
Remember to keep hydrated. Holi means a lot of unwise eating and drinking, so water will help with that and also will help to flush out toxins that may have been absorbed by the skin via the colours.
There is much that can go wrong on Holi: people being unrecognizable because of the colour and kids wandering all over the neighbourhood could be potential problems. Pools of coloured water and slippery, muddy areas pose their own dangers. Keep an eye on small kids in particular – make sure they're not putting anything in their mouth, protect their eyes and skin as well.
If someone is not willing to play don’t force them. Respect their wishes if they ask you to stop. If you feel uncomfortable, or someone is trying to get too familiar, don’t hesitate to ask the person to stop, firmly and clearly. Be with people you trust and keep to safe areas. Don’t waste too much water. Remember you're going to use up a lot to get clean again as well! Enjoy yourself and have fun, but be considerate and safe – here’s wishing you Happy Holi!
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