Penn Museum Celebrates Springtime with CultureFest! Holi

PHILADELPHIA — The Penn Museum marks the dawn of spring throughout March with CultureFest! Holi, highlighting the Hindu celebration widely known as the Festival of Colors. Originally a festival honoring fertility and the harvest, Holi occurs on the last full moon day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month and features colorful parades, dances, and folk songs. Presented in partnership with Penn’s South Asia Center, CultureFest! Holi offers live events and activities for all ages, such as:

Tuesday, March 2 at 1:00 pm ET | At-Home Anthro LIVE: Mehendi (Henna tattoos)
Used for special events, Mehendi (henna tattoos) is a popular form of body art from South Asia that stems back to ancient times. Kids ages 5-12 learn how henna plant leaves are turned into powder, then a paste to stain the skin and create their own designs. FREE. Register here.

Wednesday, March 3 at 6:00 pm ET | Commemoration and Monuments in Medieval India
In this virtual Great Lecture, the Director of Penn’s South Asia Center, Dr. Mark Lycett draws on archaeology and landscape history to illustrate how monumental spaces were built, used, and re-used in India, providing clues to their meanings and functions. $5. Register here.

Tuesday, March 9 at 1:00 pm ET | At-Home Anthro LIVE: Holi, The Festival of Colors
Holi celebrates the coming of Spring with colorful powders. Kids ages 5-12 learn more about the plants that make the powders and the meaning of each color. FREE. Register here.

Thursday, March 11 at 1:00 pm ET | Holi, The Mythology Brought to Life
For Holi, artist Soumya Dhulekar creates live illustrations to tell the story behind a legend in Hindu mythology, alongside a special guest narrator. $5. Register here.

Tuesday, March 16 at 1:00 pm ET | At-Home Anthro LIVE: Mughal Miniature Paintings
Often found in book illustrations, Mughal miniature painting is an artform that developed in India during the 16th-18th centuries. Kids ages 5-12 learn more about how Persian miniatures influenced this painting style and create their own designs to tell stories. FREE. Register here.

Wednesday, March 17 at 4:00 pm ET | World Wonders: Holi, Triumph, and Colors
In India, Holi signals the coming of the spring season. This virtual presentation examines the myths and rituals that are a part of the popular Hindu festival celebrating life, love, vitality, and the triumph of good over evil. Families with children ages 5-12 will hear stories of Hindu deities and learn to make organic colors for their own Holi celebration—using spices, flour, and vegetables. Pay-what-you-wish. Register here.

Thursday, March 25 at 5:30 pm ET | Living Room Lecture: Penn’s South Asia Center
In a casual happy hour livestreamed on Facebook, attendees virtually hang out with one of the faculty from Penn’s South Asia Center to learn more about India and its social and cultural expressions, along with an insider’s view on the Holi festival.

Monday, March 29 at 6:00 pm ET | Holi Celebration with Three Aksha
Celebrate the Hindu holiday Holi with a live performance from Three Aksha, a Philadelphia-based dance academy that preserves and promotes Indian culture and heritage through classical Indian Bharatanatyam dance choreography. $5. Register here.

In addition to the live programs, other resources inspired by Holi are available on the Museum’s website— with Digital Daily Digs (three-minute videos about one artifact) and at-home DIY projects. The Museum invites families who complete projects to tag @PennMuseum on Facebook and Instagram. Other crafts and recipes can be found on the Museum’s Pinterest.

The entire CultureFest! Holi lineup can be found here.