Do you guys celebrate a festival like Holi (the festivals of colours), like we Hindus do?

...rituals and traditions and doctrines that have been pounded into our heads since we were born. I am now on my own spiritual path and don't believe in those things anymore.

If there would have been a single death or such cases like an acute illness..it would have been highlighted, articles would have been published, and people would have known..no one risks his life. No one, has ever, in his life ,heard of calamities caused by gulal.. you're always at a risk that the food you're eating may even choke you down..still everyone eats..and no one dies. Got it.?

Some hyper-sensitive people, or those who are allergic to it avoid these colours. Mostly you'll find a few people complaning about skin rashes or pimples caused by poor quality of gulal..that's not very common. Rashes and Pimples are actually caused when people don't wash it on time and/or in a proper way..there aren't 'bad/poor quality' colours..they don't decay..AND: In my whole life I've never heard of a death or severe illness caused by colours.

Hah! Nothing! Noone simply inhales gulal or abir..most of us just rub it on other's cheeks or forehead..sometimes, some of them (espacially when a huge party is gathered) take handful of it and thrust it on your face, but that too isn't such a matter of concern. Anyone can hold his breath for 2-3 secs..then you simply dust it off. Mica causes no harm..firstly because it's present in a very small proportion & secondly, it's not inhaled.

Has anybody gotten sick or gotten irritated eyes from all the powder on them at the festival. In America there are so many health rules now. Few people here would dream of inhaling all that powder. I did look up harmful effects of inhaling mica powder and found this link.... http://www.ehow.com/info_8551607_harmful-effects-powdered-mica.html

I did a little research on that. Actually it's Galal..Abir (Mica extract) is mixed to it.. that wikipedia page was inaccurate. Here, I think this site is reliable. http://news.drikpanchang.com/2013/03/gulal-and-abeer.html?m=1

Thank you, that is very interesting. I have always been fascinated by the Hindu lifestyle and culture. My daughter in law went to India in the 80's to study Hindu dance. She still performs in California and else where. She travels to Thailand and Bali to study massage and other healing techniques every year. We love to hear about her travels. Thank you

I asked my grandfather and he said that it's made of a powder of a particular stone. Later, it's coloured. It's called Abir or Abeer in India. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abir

Just out of curiosity, what are those pigments made from? Are they food grade or are they toxic chemicals?