In its nascent stage, our rapidly growing EMBL site in Barcelona consists of people from 13 different nationalities, speaking a multitude of languages. We often find ourselves curious about each other’s cultures, so we thought – what could be better than celebrating festivals together in the most authentic way?! On April 6th, 2019, we came together to celebrate the Indian festival of Holi (marking the beginning of spring) in the beautiful town of Begues, situated in the Garraf massif, south-west of Barcelona.
According to legends, Holi signifies the victory of good over evil. However, in modern times, it is a symbol of inclusiveness, friendliness, love and unbound joy.
Amidst the uncertainty of weather prediction, people joined with their families and young kids with great enthusiasm. With a mix of traditional and bollywood music, Indian food and vibrant colors, we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest! While this was a first Holi experience for most of us in the unit, in the coming years, we look forward to many such cultural events inspired by traditions across the globe!
The festive spirit left a lasting impression on each one of us, an example is this cute drawing made by Aina (daughter of Krisztina Arató), explaining holi to her friends at school.
Video Credit: Joan Gorro and Montse Coll Llado
Thank you one and all for making it a memorable experience!
Gopi Shah
Project Manager, Mesoscopic Imaging Facility (EMBL Barcelona)