Source: Olean Times Herald
http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2010/03/01/news/doc4b8c0af13316f212204952.txt
Celebrated all over India and in many other parts of the world, the "Holi Festival", also known as the Festival of Colors, is a popular Hindu holiday commemorating the harvest of the winter crops as it welcomes the beginning of spring.
For nearly a decade, the Holi Festival has been recognized in the Olean community and was celebrated on Sunday at the Allegany Hindu Society on Maple Avenue.
Traditionally, Holi is celebrated the day after the first full moon in March. The ceremony begins the night before with a large bonfire and goes on into the next day, when people shower each other in vibrant pinks, purples, oranges, reds and so forth, in both powder and water form. Customarily, there is an array of food - primarily sweets - as well as ceremonious dancing.