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Parenting
There is no doubt that kids should be introduced to the Indian culture
and festivals. It brings in them a sense of belongingness, and a larger
understanding of the society they are a part of. So I would suggest the
ideal way to celebrate Holi, or any other festival for that matter is a
story. Yes, the mythological story of Hiranyakashipu, Holika, Lord
Narsimha and the little Prahlad. I have included a kid-appropriate
version of this story at the end of this article.
Once upon a time there was a evil demon-king called Hiranyakashipu who was very proud and arrogant. He considered himself the most powerful one in the world, and ordered everyone to worship him, instead of Lord Vishnu. However, his own son, Prahlad was a very good boy, and a devotee of Lord Vishnu. This made king Hiranyakashipu very angry, and he asked his sister, Holika to get rid of Prahlad. Now, Holika also had a secret power. She was immune to fire, so that fire could never burn her. So, she took Prahlad with her, and sat in a huge bonfire. But Holika forgot that fire is a very dangerous thing, and everybody should be very careful near the fire. So Holika burned, and died. However, little Prahlad was continuously praying to the god, and so was saved because of his devotion to Lord Vishnu. Later, Lord Vishnu took Narsimha avatar and killed the evil king too. So, every year, we burn a bonfire on Holi, to remember that one should always be good, believe in god, and should always be careful of fire. March 12, 2006
The Week of March 12, 2006
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Holi
is around the corner. The festival of free spirits. The festival of fun
and frolic, and of bountiful colors. But unfortunately, the festival of
colors has also turned into a festival of chemicals. The free
spiritedness of Holi also gives rise to total lack of rules on the
streets. It is only natural that parents of little angels are as
apprehensive as they are excited about Holi. How do they see Holi, and
more importantly, how should the kids celebrate Holi?
Finally,
the day of colorful, playful holi comes. You and the kids are ready with
their pichkari to soak and color everyone in range. If you can, refrain
from using colors and gulals till your kids are a little older. The
colors and gulal used in holi are essentially chemicals and can have
serious side effects . For example, red is mercury sulphite, green is
copper sulphate, purple is made from chromium and bromide compounds and
black has lead oxide. Their usage can lead to skin irritation,
allergies, hair loss, edema and erythema and even blindness. You can
choose to play with natural colors or with plain water. There are a lot
of ways to create natural colors – you can use turmeric, beetroot and
mehandi (henna) for common colors. You can be creative and make even
more colors from household stuff. Ensure that you speak to the parents
of his potential playmates so that they also play holi without these
chemicals. However, it is always better to prepare your children in case
others are playing with these colors. A generous helping of cold cream
on the body, and oil on the hair and scalp should help. Clearly instruct
your child to close her eyes if someone applies gulal on her head or
face, or throws colored water towards her. 
