Dutch Hindus: Stop calling summer festivals 'Holi'

Hindus united in the group 'Holi is not a Houseparty' are calling on Dutch festival organizers to stop using the word 'Holi' in the names of their summer festivals. Holi is a Hindu festival celebrated in the spring, NOS reports.

"The festivals move a very important festival for Hinduism from spring to summer", Pravini Baboeram of the action group said to NOS. The Holi festival celebrates the new year and the spring. During the festival, Hindus sprinkle each other with colored powder. The festival organizers calling their summer festivals 'Holi' is like "an organization taking Christmas trees in spring and saying 'Merry Christmas'," according to Baboeram.

During summer festivals like Holi Fusion and Holi Festival of Colors, visitors also cover themselves and each other with colored powders. The action group is completely fine with that. "We only have a problem with calling it Holi. When you change a festival so much that the essence is lost, you need to change the name. That's all we want: a name change. The party can remain the same" Baboeram said to NOS.

The Discrimination Hotline Region Amsterdam received over 400 reports from people who object to the use of the name Holi. A few smaller festivals already changed their names, according to Baboeram.