Khmerican Family Abroad #19 🕉️ Holi at Petuniaschool 🛕 Good Over Evil in Suriname
Suriname is very multicultural, and it is a joy seeing all the various ethnic groups partake in each other's holidays.
HOLI? 🤔 IN SURINAME?
I don't generally expect people to know where Suriname is on a world map, and most people usually think it's on the African continent somewhere. When I say it's between Guyana and French Guiana, I usually receive a confused blank stare. Eventually I have to say it's on the northwest coast of South America close to Brazil, and that usually gets the job done.
Also, you may or may not what Holi is depending on how large the Indian community is in your country or area. There are a few countries in the Caribbean with substantial populations of citizens with Indian ancestry, namely Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. Here in Suriname descendants of indentured Indian workers make up around 27% of the country's population, the largest single ethnic group.
Even though the majority of Indian descendants are actually Christians here in Suriname, Holi is still celebrated by both Christians and Hindus. In fact, the whole entire country takes part in Holi regardless of ethnicity, religion or class. It is magical to witness, and even better if it's at public school among the youths of Suriname.
In short, Holi is basically the celebration of good over evil, but also signifies some seasonal changes and other things. In India, effigies are burned, broken friendships are repaired, and it's generally a time to forgive and forget. Holi in Suriname is very simple; it's just about fun and enjoyment, and releasing some endorphines by aggressively covering your friends with colored powders.
✨ LET THE CONTROLLED CHAOS BEGIN!! ✨
With the anticipation building, Sakana's teacher walked around the room and smeared phagwa powder on the cheeks of all the students. I had come intending only to take photos, but Sakana's teacher rubbed powder on my cheeks, thereby rendering me a legit target for all students. I got caught up in the excitement and felt I needed to document this beautiful example of multicultural bliss.
With phagwa blasters prepped and ready for action, it was time to turn the students loose and let them enjoy themselves. I hadn't been surrounded by so much laughter and good vibes in a few years, and the experience was already beginning to feel like a personal healing of some sort. Sometimes the best medicine is not herbal or synthetic, but produced within the human body itself.
Not many multicultural countries in the world have enough mutual love and respect to take part in each other's cultures and customs. Here in Suriname the vibes are different. I've tried countless times in Jamaica to get my Rastafari brethren and sistren to try Indian food, only to hear them say "Me nah deal wid' de Indian mon dem', dem food man stink suh!" That kind of rhetoric breaks my heart to be honest.
🙌 TRULY MAGIC 🙌
It was such a joy to see the multiethnic youths of Petuniaschool all playing with our daughters. These shy Khmer girls from the countryside of Cambodia have really come out of their shells in Ecuador and Suriname over the course of the last year. They are now confident multilingual little youths that know how to stand firm in the face of adversity, and they have deserved an endorphine rush like this for far too long.
Seeing the @KidSisters take part in Holi and learn another new custom from another culture brings me great joy. They are filling up their minds with positive life-altering experiences, and I aim for their young brains to be full of neuroplasticity. I really feel if there is any hope for humankind, we have to learn to come together like this from time to time.
I guess I should mention I am now posting this at the height of global coronavirus scares. I am just now having a chance to post this, and this is really the last day things were somewhat normal here in Suriname.
There is now a confirmed case of coronavirus in Paramaribo, and the country has now closed its borders. We are here for the foreseeable future, postponing a job offer we had in Batumi, Georgia. I guess it makes me extra happy we got to share this experience right before worldwide vibes took a turn for the worse.
🙏 THANKS FOR READING 🙏
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Please share your Holi experience in the comments below.
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What a nice post. Thank you for enlightening me about a culture and practice about which I knew nothing. It's good to see something like this. I know there is a lot of potential for things like this to happen elsewhere.
Thanks for stopping by @moeknows! There are still some places left in the world where people can come together like this. Malaysia might be the best example I can think of on the other side of the world.
Great pictures man. I like the meaning behind this, make everything right that was wrong and forgive and forget. I never heard of Holi before. guidance and protection to you and yours lion.
Give thanks @dmilliz! I think outside of Guyana and Trinidad, it's not celebrated in the Caribbean much.
A fabulous post my friend. So great to see everyone celebrating together with no segregation or any other hangups.
Blessings!
Thanks @papilloncharity! I imagine the Indians of S. Africa celebrate Holi too, right? Do all ethnicities take part in Holi in S. Africa, or is it mostly celebrated within ethnic Indian communities?
Some do and some don't, but I think that the majority are Indians that celebrate Holi my friend.
Blessings!
What a fabulous post! The photographs are gorgeous and I was smiling as I scrolled through the words and images. There are so many good things about it - sharing a festival across cultures, having fun, enjoying the peacefulness that comes after an explosion of excitement. What a good idea to have a festival that encourages forgiveness. Thank you for sharing :)
Big up yourself @shanibeer and thanks for stopping by! I have witnessed Holi a few times but never took part in some small way. I have no regrets and it was a truly magical experience.
This looks like such a fun time for the kids, and a simple pleasure wrapping up a important message.
Thanks for sharing this experience with us.
Give thanks @jk6276.jahm!! I couldn't resist sharing this, it was just too beautiful of an experience to keep it to myself.
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This is absolutely fabulous! Wouldn't the world such a better place with children running it? They are not borne with hatred in their hearts, they learn it.
We could learn a lot from them, open, honest and accepting.
This was so wonderful to see and I have to admit, perhaps because my family and I have worked and traveled all over the world, my kids were never judgemental nor prejudiced in any way.
As a matter of fact, I think back when my son was trying to let me know which child he was talking about and he said, the one with the orange shoes on, when in fact, it would have been easier to identify him as the black person (he was the only one) and there were lots of orange shoes! But he did not identify or look at them that was. He was colorblind in that respect.
How awesome if we could all be that way.
Wonderful post!
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So kind of you @dswigle!!
Out of the mouths of babes do we gain strength.
Funny you said that, our girls here have never really been around black children before. The few they know in Cambodia they would certainly refer to as black as being the most identifiable feature. However, even though Suriname is mostly Asian, our school district is predominantly black. Now, surrounded by black classmates, they can't just refer to the black kid and think I will know who it is. The more multiethnic the place, the more you gotta describe people I guess. I'm easy, the "big ginger guy with the turban."
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So colourful pictures and full of joy! I love that!!!
Thank you @gabrielatravels! Kind words.
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