Students from India celebrate Holi, a holiday of love and spring

Students of the Amur State Medical Academy from India are celebrating the vibrant festival of Holi, widely known as the Festival of Colors, bringing the traditions of Indian culture and Hindu spring celebrations to the international student community of the academy.

Holi is a traditional Indian spring festival that originates from the Hindu cultural and religious tradition. The festival is celebrated every year on the full moon of the Hindu lunar calendar, which usually falls in late February or early March in the Gregorian calendar. Today, Holi is widely recognized around the world as a symbol of cultural unity, joy, and the celebration of diversity among international students.

“Two thousand years ago, Holi was celebrated as a festival marking the vernal equinox and the fertility of the earth. During the Middle Ages, the holiday gained spiritual and social significance, becoming popular among Indian rulers who used the festival to unite different religious and ethnic communities. Today, Holi symbolizes the arrival of spring, the victory of good over evil, and the renewal of nature. The festival also teaches important values such as forgiveness, friendship, harmony, and mutual understanding between cultures,” said Elena Nikolaevna Maslova, Head of the International Relations Department of the Amur State Medical Academy.

The celebration of Holi by Indian medical students studying abroad highlights the academy’s international academic environment, multicultural student community, and global educational collaboration, where students from different countries share their traditions and cultural heritage.