The biggest, messiest, best game ever - Holi!!!

I love Holi!!! The fun, the laughter, the color. Its wet, its wild, its wonderful. When else can you get covered in paint and celebrate the mess! Get in touch with your inner child and believe me, its not far from the surface itching to get out and get dirty!

But why? The easiest answer is a farewell to winter and a welcome to the colors of spring. The calendar date of Holi depends on the moon, so its a moving fest. Apparently, Holi is celebrated more ferosiously in Northern India - tho' this was pretty fierce a la Vista!

The morning starts of with greeting and wishing all your neighbors  "happy Holi" but instead of shaking hands/cheek kissing/hugging you wipe colored powder on each others faces and hair.

Once the water arrives, protocol seems to fall by the way and the real fun starts. Powder gets poured in to the water and the guns are loaded!

The usual good manners are gone - the kids in Vista are generally well mannered - "yes Aunty, no Aunty".........but not today, everyone is fair game ......

 And today, of course, real men can wear pink!!

Did we have the best, unfettered, care-free fun, you betcha!

And was the biggest mess - I think I won that one!

Cleaning up - not so easy. We all have, what is no longer bright fushia but definately a rose tinge in places.
This festival is so India - wild, exuberant, enthusiastic, colorful, smiling, laughing and a big celebration of just being!