How to Celebrate Eco-Friendly Holi and Safe Holi At Home
‘Holi’ is a spring festival, synonymous with togetherness, fun, and festivity! Whether it is kids or adults, everyone loves Holi not only for the ritual of playing with colours, but also for the joy and freshness that comes along with this splendid festival. Especially kids love playing with colours and water, and they splash around with full enthusiasm! However, along with fun and play, comes safety issues related to this vibrant festival. If not addressed on time, things can turn unsafe for kids, adults, and even for our environment.
Thus, it is always better to take some preventive steps to keep Holi eco-friendly as well as safe for everyone around! But, how do we celebrate Holi in a sustainable manner?
Here are some ways to celebrate a safe and eco-friendly Holi….
- Pre-Holi Preparation and Clothing
- Use only organic Holi colours
- Minimum use of water
- Refrain from balloons and plastic bags
- Manage the Litter
- Eco-friendly pooja items
- Chemically-free delicacies
- Biodegradable containers
1. Pre-Holi Preparation and Clothing:
To play a Holi that is safe for your skin and overall well-being, follow certain steps. The night before Holi, apply coconut oil to your body as well as your hair. This will nourish your skin and will minimize the effect of colours on your skin and hair. It is preferable to wear full-sleeved clothes and full-length pants while playing Holi. Also, just before stepping out to play Holi, apply a good sunscreen which will not only moisturize your skin but also prevent you from the harsh sun while playing Holi. Kids should wear sunglasses to avoid any contact of colours with their eyes, which can otherwise prove to be very dangerous.
2. Use only organic Holi colours:
Playing with colours is one of the most prominent characteristics of Holi. Especially kids can’t imagine a Holi festival without splashing colours on their friends and running after them with a pichkaari in their hands. However, we should always use eco-friendly Holi colours which are made up of natural ingredients like rice flour, turmeric, powder of dried flowers, sandalwood, heena, and more. Never go for chemical-based and metallic colours that are very harmful not only to your skin, and your eyes but also to the environment.
3. Minimum use of water:
We all know, a lot of water wastage takes place during Holi. Though it is not avoidable, nevertheless, we can do our best to minimize the wastage as much as possible for eco-friendly celebrations. As water scarcity is an increasing concern in several places, we should be mindful while playing Holi. It is best to play Holi in a space where plants can absorb water and minimize its wastage. And as you are using organic colours, the water will also be harmless to plants. Also, try to use buckets instead of water hoses to play eco-friendly Holi.
4. Refrain from balloons and plastic bags:
It is not only dangerous for kids and adults, but also hazardous for the environment to play Holi with water balloons. Refrain from using any kind of plastic during Holi to avoid causing pollution of any kind. It is as much fun to play with organic colours and little water, one needn’t use water balloons to make this festival ecstatic. One can play interesting indoor as well as outdoor games to make the festival of Holi exciting. So, do avoid single-use plastic from now on!
5. Manage the Litter:
No doubt, playing Holi is loads of fun, but with it comes a lot of litter and waste around us. Being a responsible citizen, we must give a helping hand in post-holiday cleaning and picking up waste materials in disposable bags and throwing them in the dustbins. Doing it together can be a lot of fun as well as a proud feeling of contributing to an environmentally healthy place around us. Small steps can lead to a big impact on eco-friendly celebrations.
6. Eco-friendly pooja items:
Offering your prayers to the deity is an essential part of Holi celebration ideas! This time, go a step ahead and opt for eco-friendly and sustainable pooja utensils, and other items like earthen diyas, incense sticks, and metallic or wooden pooja thali, to create a divine and auspicious ambience all around. Get rid of any sort of plastic and other harmful materials used during pooja and opt for green celebration.
7. Chemically-free delicacies:
Holi is a great time to indulge in sumptuous snacks and savouries, be it malpua, puran-poli, gujiyas, dahi bhalle or thandai. Just make sure to consume healthy snacks packed in biodegradable packages, instead of plastic. It's best to go for homemade snacks to ensure they are healthy and not processed and packed for several days.
8. Biodegradable containers:
It is not only the packaging, but also the containers that we serve food matter a lot. This time, be cautious of the containers and bowls you are serving in. Celebrate an eco-friendly Holi, by making use of wooden or biodegradable bowls and platters such as bamboo or corn starch and reusable cutlery instead of plastic containers which are extremely hazardous to our environment.
FAQs:
1. How can we celebrate Holi in an eco-friendly way?
You can celebrate eco-friendly Holi by using natural Holi colours, refraining from water balloons and plastic, ensuring minimum wastage of water and using sustainable containers.
2. How to make organic Holi colours at home?
You can use dried flowers in different hues such as hibiscus, marigold, rose, chrysanthemum, and rice flour or gram flour, for making organic Holi colours at home and making it a green celebration.
3. Can I reduce water usage during Holi celebrations at home?
Make use of buckets instead of water hoses while playing with water. Also, first try to rub off the colours using a dry and wet cloth so that minimum water is required. Play Holi with organic colours where water can be absorbed by plants harmlessly.
4. What are safe and skin-friendly options for protecting hair and skin during Holi?
Use eco-friendly Holi colours, apply oil a night before to minimize the effect of colours. Moisturize your skin again with a good sunscreen before going out to play.
5. How do I dispose of leftover colour in an eco-friendly way?
Leftover Holi colours can be used to make beautiful Rangoli designs or in art and craft by kids.
