The second edition of Holi One Color Festival kicked off this morning at the Centro de Eventos Pedregal in Belén, under strict security checks at the entrance.
Holi is a popular springtime celebration observed on the last full moon of the lunar month. Participants traditionally throw bright, vibrant powders at friends and strangers alike as they celebrate the arrival of spring, commemorate Krishna’s pranks, and allow each other a momentary freedom — a chance to drop their inhibitions and simply play and dance.
Parallel to the party, which required the wearing of white and throwing of coloured powders, two minors were stopped at the entrance and sent home, all part of the control by the Fuerza Pública (police) and the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI) – the child welfare agency. Involved in the controls was also the Instituto Costarricense contra Drogas (ICD) – Costa Rica’s institure on drugs.
There’s something missing from this story. Why were the kids turned away? Was this an adults-only event?