But throughout all this celebration, I did not know what the purpose or significance of the festival was. Nor did I ask — after all, I was busy enjoying the festivities! Thinking about it now, I realize that I’m generally ignorant about the significance of the various festivals and ceremonies that Dharma holds here at Harvard — yet I still manage to enjoy them all. Because we’re already on the subject, let’s take Holi as an example.

Given that I don’t know much about why we celebrate Holi, I checked Wikipedia, which provides a background and significance for the festival. I read the backstory, the associated protagonists and antagonists, a rationale for the name — and now I am better-informed about an event whose origin I’ve taken for granted.

Still, my mind doesn’t feel any fuller after getting this background. Now I have a backstory for Holi, but it is just that — a story. I could just as easily make up another story, with apparently equal authority if I narrate it to a friend. Does it matter that Holi celebrates the triumph of the righteous Prahlada over the demoness Holika? We who dedicate our time to making events like this happen must ask — what is the modern spiritual significance of this wonderful festival? If it’s just about community, why does it have any spiritual value at all?

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