Holi Celebrations in Charlotte

Holi Celebrations in Charlotte

In my previous pieces, “Living in a diverse world: The life of an expat, parts 1 & 2” (March 8 and 9, 2012), we explored how language and culture go hand-in-hand.
Now I want to look at local customs and the importance of having a sense of humor and understanding local taboos.

Before I move on to humor, I just wonder if you know anybody who has successfully acquired a second language and adopted various aspects of the local behavior? I mean, those particular to that linguistic cultural group. It’s maybe that it’s not someone else you know, but that you have even achieved this accomplishment. I would love to hear from you.

When I was on Facebook the other day, I came across some postings on my friends’ pages that demonstrate my next two points on humor, and customs and taboos. Before I share the posts, I want to share a couple of statements to bear in mind:

Humor can be a gentle way of letting people know your point of view. Try to avoid sarcasm. It can be misunderstood.

Understand what the customs and taboos are in the local culture… Respect them.

A friend of mine, while visiting Mumbai, posted the following Facebook status: “Today is the Indian festival known as Holi, the festival of colors. Indians throw paint over each other. Europeans are not venturing out of the hotel! Various people are walking around covered in paint. Happily it is usually the sort that washes off with water.”

Throwing paint on each other may appear as nonsense to the onlooker, but it is important to understand how the local people perceive it and its significance to them. In order to learn more about this paint splashing, a quick search directed me to the website http://www.thecolorsofindia.com/holi-traditions-customs.html.

The website explains as follows: “On the first day of Holi or the full moon day, colored powder known as ‘gulal’ is arranged on a ‘thali’ (platter) and colored water is placed in a small brass pot known as ‘lota.’ As a good omen, the eldest male member of the family sprinkles colors from the ‘thali’ and ‘lota’ on each member of the family.”

It seems if you are visitor and do not have any Indian relatives, you would be safe to venture out!

My Facebook friend did not mention anything about the huge bonfires they . I guess there were none near the five-star hotel where he stayed. The significance of the two-day holiday known as Holi is to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

A friend replied about an experience she had had on a business trip to Munich, Germany. She wrote: “Hi! Have you ever been in an office in southern Germany about this time of year?” (It was this past Thursday when she wrote.) She continued: “There’s a day when in the morning the girls have the right to cut a guy’s tie in half with a pair of scissors. My colleagues at the office say they all wear their cheapest, or most gravy-stained, tie that day! Hope you enjoy the colors in India.”

Isn’t it wonderful what experiences travel brings our way? We can either let it cause us anguish or laugh about it if it interferes with your routine, etc.

The gentleman on Facebook who had written about India replied about his experience in Germany, saying, “Yes, Indeed!” Would you believe it happened to him when he was in Cologne? He said that the secretaries were all running around the office with very large pairs of scissors. He admitted that it was most alarming.

I couldn’t help but want to do a quick Google search on this local custom, too, and found that this really does happen. You can read about it on the website http://www.journey-to-germany.com/carnival.html.

Every year, Germans celebrate what they call Carnival. The website states that there is a special day (the Thursday before Ash Wednesday) during the Carnival festival for women called “Altweiber” (old women) or “Weiberfastnacht” (Women’s Carnival Day), which is also known in the regions of Baden-Württemberg, parts of Bavaria and Alsace as Schmotziger Donnerstag, or “Greasy Thursday.” It’s on that day that apparently women come to work equipped to cut men’s ties. Men don’t have to worry about losing an expensive tie as there are shops that stock and sell cheap ties for this special ocn!

Many of us who are unfamiliar with these customs would probably look upon them and say, “What at a strange tradition!”

“The beauty of the world has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder” — Virginia Woolf

Holi Celebrations in Charlotte

Holi Celebrations in Charlotte

Holi Celebrations in Charlotte

Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte
Holi Celebrations in Charlotte