Honor Holi Parade Day

March 12, 2017 WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, to recognize and pay tribute to those events which foster ethnic pride and enhance the profile of cultural diversity which strengthens the fabric of the communities of New York State; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to celebrate Holi, an ancient Hindu Spring Festival, with the 29th Annual Phagwah Parade, to be held on Sunday, March 12, 2017, in the Richmond Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York; and WHEREAS, The Phagwah Parade is an annual Hindu celebration held in March in Richmond Hill, the home to the largest Indo-Caribbean community in the United States; for 29 years, the residents of this neighborhood have hosted the biggest Phagwah celebration in North America; and WHEREAS, Over 20,000 people attend the Phagwah Parade each year; traditionally, participants paint one another with dye and powder; at the culmination of the parade in Smokey Oval Park, there are live music performances as well as other traditional cultural celebrations that last into the early evening; and WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Federation of Hindu Mandirs, Inc. (FOHM) and The Arya Spiritual Center (ASC), with support from the Hindu Parades and Festivals Committee, Inc. the 29th Annual Phagwah Parade is proud to be able to contribute to the cultural diversity of the great City of New York; and WHEREAS, Holi, or Phagwah as it is commonly known throughout the Caribbean, is an ancient Hindu Spring Festival, also known as the Festival of Colors, a celebration of the colors of unity, renewal, forgiveness and new beginnings; and WHEREAS, The Festival signifies the coming of spring, the joy of friendship, and equality for all; and WHEREAS, The colored powders used in Holi represent love, happiness, and the freedom to live vibrantly, which are all principles shared and promoted by CEP; and WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to recognize and commend cultural events which symbolize the historical, social and cultural development of this great State and embody the spirit of the principles upon which this Nation was founded; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to celebrate Holi, an ancient Hindu Spring Festival, with the 29th Annual Phagwah Parade on March 12, 2017; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Federation of Hindu Mandirs, Inc. (FOHM), The Arya Spiritual Center (ASC), the Hindu Parades and Festivals Committee, Inc., and the Caribbean Equality Project.