Asking the Clergy: Celebrating the spring equinox

The arrival of the spring is a time of celebration for Long Island Hindus, Sikhs and Baha’is. This week’s commenters discuss important festivals celebrated with prayer, spiritual reinvigoration and joyous social gatherings.

Marie McNair

Secretary, Regional Baha'i Council of the Northeastern States, Bellport 

Baha’is all over the world welcome each spring by celebrating Naw-Ruz, the first day of the new year in the Baha’i calendar, this year on March 20. Naw-Ruz marks the end of a 19-day sunrise-to-sunset fast, which is a period of reflection and spiritual reinvigoration. It is a happy holy day observed by socializing at parties with fun, food music and dancing.

For Baha’is, however, Naw-Ruz is not just about having parties. More importantly, it symbolizes individual renewal and humanity’s revitalization. Naw-Ruz is about the spiritual springtime of the appearance of Baha’u’llah, whom Bahai’s recognize as the most recent of the manifestations sent by God for the reawakening of a world now ready to receive teachings for its peace, security, progress and development. Destined to bring about profound changes in the life of humanity, this spiritual springtime involves an understanding of the oneness of the human family. It advocates freedom from prejudice of all kinds and acceptance of the oneness of religion, a truth that has been revealed by God progressively over time by a series of divine messengers. These are principles that will lead to the unity of humanity and world peace, the true cause of celebration.

Mahesh Shastri Ji

Priest, Hindu Temple of Long Island, Bethpage

Holi is one of the four main festivals in Hinduism. Also known as the Festival of Colors, it is celebrated on the last day of the Lunar Year, this year on March 7. Holi signifies that we must forget and forgive all the wrongs from the previous year and start anew with love, respect and an effort to help and serve humanity.

At our temple on Long Island, we will celebrate it with prayers and preaching, and then we will have a feast with vegetarian foods such as lentil soup, rice, yogurt, salad and Indian sweets. Next, the celebration will move outside into the parking lot with a colorful Holi tradition. We take a little bit of colored powders — including red, yellow and pink — from a plate, and apply it to friends’ faces in a spirit of love and joy, with much laughter. This Holi ritual signifies that we start a colorful life filled with happiness, understanding and love. Everyone is free to apply the color on anyone else, including young, old, ladies, gentlemen as well as those with whom one would like to be more than friends.

I.J. Singh

Author of essays on his journey as a Sikh in America   

The Hola Mohalla Sikh festival will be celebrated this year from March 8 to 10, by tradition on the three days following the festival of Holi. Hola Mohalla was founded by Guru Gobind Singh (1666 to 1708), the 10th and last of the Sikh gurus, who gave form to the faith. His idea was to channel his people's energy, inspire Sikhs to physical strength and lift the morale of the Sikh community.

The largest celebration of Hola Mohalla is held in India, where Sikhs display physical strength by performing traditional martial arts and daredevil acts of warrior skills such as standing erect on two speeding horses. These feats of strength are accompanied by religious music performances and a poetry competition to encourage spirituality and art. Religious lectures are held to strengthen the soul of community.

Hola Mohalla celebrations are also held within Long Island’s Sikh community. As in India, free vegetarian meals, known as langar, are served by volunteers in community kitchens at our houses of worship. People are fed regardless of their faith, economic status or ethnicity. Social gatherings with langar are also held in Sikh homes as part of the celebrations.