Colourful powders will be the order of the day for Hindus around the world as they celebrate Holi, the annual festival of colours this week.
The festival is often referred to as New Year celebration for Hindus.
It’s when Hindus come together to share a common theme. It is about colour, religious songs and the sharing of food.
There is an abundance of colours though. It is about a new beginning.
Many of the faithful will consider an end to past errors and conflicts and look forward with hope and renewed vigour to a new beginning.
However, this day shouldn’t be just about Hindus celebrating a very special festival.
We have an opportunity to appreciate an event that we can all learn from. As we go about our daily lives, let us remind ourselves that we all make mistakes.
As human beings, we have our moments of weakness. Yet despite this, we each can look back at them and learn to make decisions that are good for us all.
There are moments in time that we all must learn to appreciate that fact.
Hopefully we all can have it in our hearts to forgive and get over conflicting views.
Tomorrow is when Hindus around the world look forward with optimism and hope, to a new beginning.
They will look forward to taking a positive step forward, having learnt from the past, and appreciating the need to embrace lessons with a positive mind.
No matter what religion we belong to, or believe in, there is one common factor that binds us together.
It is an appreciation of good over evil and acknowledgment of the fact that we all make mistakes.
To learn from our mistakes and move forward is not easy.
But it is something that should make our lives a whole lot better in the end.
During Holi, all imaginary lines will be shrugged aside to celebrate an event that is a significant part of the Hindu calendar.
We live in a country that is special.
In the face of the horrific killings of innocent people in Christchurch on Friday last week, such festivals should remind us about who we are, and the place religion can have in our lives.
Perhaps we can consider the importance of life, embrace that, and live it to the brim.
We are fun loving people.
We value friendship, talk about many things and appreciate many other things.
We are united every time the national rugby sevens team runs on to the field for instance, and we show our true multiracial colours every time we celebrate such events as Holi together.
Fiji definitely needs such events to bring our people together, more often than not.
