Every year, Hindu worshipers gather throughout India to celebrate Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, with a flurry of magnificent rainbow-like displays of joy.

In 2014, March 17 marks this celebratory occasion.

Participants take to the streets, dousing each other in an array of multi-colored powder and dyes.

In addition to the coming of spring, Holi’s origins can be traced to Hindu legends, including the tale of Radha and Krishna.

According to the legend, the dark-complexioned Krishna was jealous of Radha’s fair complexion. One day, after Krishna complained to his mother Yashoda about the color difference between him and Radha, his mother suggested he color Radha’s face whatever color he wanted. Taking Yashoda’s advice, he colored Radha’s face to make her look like him.

To this day, traces of the playful prank played by Krishna on Radha can be seen all over India as women, men and children toss the brightly colored powders and dyed water all over each other in celebration of Holi.

Lovely celebration!

But this got me thinking about the color of skin and how different countries, different generations, and different eras can have opposing views of what constitutes beauty in a society. The mania for tanning beds and spray-on tan products in some Western societies vs. the umbrella-toting, fair skinned imagery of beauty in the East. I wonder if Mamma Yashoda ever had a chat with little Radha and Krishna about the imperative of beauty within?

While we ponder that, hand me that yellow, blue and red powdered dye !!