Hues dark and light fill the air. 

Companionship drenched in the festive flair.

It’s that time of the year again. The festival of colours is right around the corner. The ecstatic feeling of being the first one to apply colour on your loved ones. Awakening your sixth sense and being completely aware of your surroundings to avoid random water balloons hurled your way. These are just a few joys of Holi that the nation unanimously awaits. But since 2020, colours are not the only component in the air due to COVID-19. 

While we love the festival and so does the western world about our country, times are delicate and it might not be the best time to enjoy the festivities. The second wave of COVID-19 has already hit India, especially Maharashtra. A supposed Double Mutant COVID strain has been found in India. With the odds against our favour, how do we celebrate the festival this time?

Holi is the festival of colours, spring and love, a celebration of the eternal love of Radha and Krishna, and the triumph of good over evil. That said, abstractly celebrating the festival is enough to live the spirit of it. Here are reasons why you should skip the traditional celebration of Holi this time.

1. The Second wave of COVID-19 and the new strain are two major red flags. Hugs and colourful smiles mark the festival. You cannot possibly celebrate love by carelessly breaking the rules of social distancing in the name of the festival. 
2. A careless attitude might bank heavily on your locality. Nudging your flu away for momentary enjoyment puts your locality at risk. We are already aware of the highly infectious nature of the virus. If that was not enough, there could be an imposter of an asymptomatic patient among us. COVID-19 spreads like wildfire that could affect a major chunk of your society if not taken care of.
3. Our nation is not prepared for another wave, another lockdown, and another phase of consequent stagnation. 

With all said and done, one would wonder, how do you celebrate if not one wishes to celebrate at all?

1. Avoid going out if you are feeling sick or under the weather. Perhaps the greatest way for you to express how much you love and care for the people around you is by avoiding contact if you are not feeling so good.
2. Avoid large social gatherings. The entire concept of festivals around the world is a social gathering. But if we managed a safe Diwali, we can certainly pass with flying colours (not literally) with Holi.
3. Celebrate in small groups. Maybe the child in you cannot wait. Or maybe you have other unavoidable reasons. Celebration in smaller groups is your solution! The smaller, the better. Even better if you limit the celebrations only to your family and close relatives.
4. Avoid touching your face. Avoid touching others’ faces while applying colours. You can improvise celebrations by doing the same on arms.
5. Don’t let your colours dry. Ensure that you keep washing yourself every once in a while. Despite the festivity, wear your mask and sunglasses to block all entry points. The thought of it might feel ridiculous but these are the steps that evolve later.

If celebrated responsibly, COVID blues won’t be the only shade for you.