Photos: Holi festivals, run or dye
Participants from Kennewick, Washington, to Germany celebrated, in various ways, the ancient Hindu festival of Holi. The festival was originally to celebrate the coming of spring and the colors nature brought, but the Western world has found its own joy in it.
Spain Holi Festival
A reveler enjoys the Holi Festival of Colours in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Germany Holi Festival of Colours
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air on a meadow near Karlsruhe, Germany, Sunday, July 7, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/dpa, Uli Deck)
Germany Holi Festival of Colours
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air on a meadow near Karlsruhe, Germany, Sunday, July 7, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/dpa, Uli Deck)
Run or Dye Kennewick
Run or Dye participants fill the sky with cornstarch-based dyes on Saturday, July 13, 2013, after running a 5k at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick, Wash. The colorful part of the fun run is based on the ancient Hindu festival of Holi. Organizers estimated that 5,500 to 6,500 people attended. (AP Photo/The Tri-City Herald, Kai-Huei Yau) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL RADIO OUT KONA.
Spain Holi Festival
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Paco Serinelli)
Spain Holi Festival
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Paco Serinelli)
Spain Holi Festival
A reveler washes off the colored powder as she enjoys the Holi Festival of Colours in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Spain Holi Festival
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Spain Holi Festival
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours enjoy the athmosphere in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Spain Holi Festival
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Spain Holi Festival
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Spain Holi Festival
Visitors of the Holi Festival of Colours throw special colored powders in the air in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 13, 2013. The festival is fashioned after the Hindu spring festival Holi, which is mainly celebrated in the north and east of India. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
India Holi Festival
An Indian teases passes-by by pretending to throw colored water on them during Holi celebrations outside Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
India Holi Festival
Indian laborers smeared with colors have a light moment as they celebrate "Holi," the festival of colors in New Delhi, India , Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi is an ancient and the most popular Hindu festival here to celebrate the arrival of spring among Indians across the country. (AP Photo /Manish Swarup)
India Holi Festival Widows
An Indian man with his face painted in the colours of the Indian national flag is hit with flowers during Holi celebrations organized by the NGO Sulabh for widows at the Meera Sahbhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The widows, many of whom at times have lived depserate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated the festival for the first time at the century old ashram. After their husband's deaths the women have been banished by their families to the town where devotees believe Lord Krishna was born, for supposedly bringing bad luck. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
India Holi Festival
Indian children play with colored powder during Holi festival in Kolkata, India, Wednesday, March. 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo /Sucheta Das)
India Holi Festival Widows
An intoxicated Indian rickshaw driver is passed out near Banke Bihari temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, during Holi festival celebrations in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the festival of colors celebrates the arrival of spring. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
India Holi Festival
Indians throw colored water on people passing by during holi celebrations outside Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
India Holi Festival
Hindu devotees celebrate Holi festival inside the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
India Holi Festival
Indian youth play with colored spray cans during Holi festival celebrations in Jammu, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the festival of colors celebrates the arrival of spring among other things. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
India Holi Festival
An Indian, face smeared with colored powder, celebrates Holi festival in Gauhati, India, Wednesday, March. 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
India Holi Festival
A foreign tourist smears colored powder on another during Holi celebrations in Pushkar, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Deepak Sharma)
India Holi Festival Widows
An Indian Hindu widow throws red colored powder on two others as they dance as part of Holi celebrations organized by the NGO Sulabh at the Meera Sahbhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The widows, many of whom at times have lived desperate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated the festival for the first time at the century old ashram. After their husband's deaths the women have been banished by their families to the town where devotees believe Lord Krishna was born, for supposedly bringing bad luck. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
India Holi Festival
A girl smeared with color stands at the doorway of her shanty in a slum during Holi celebrations in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, heralds the arrival of spring. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
India Holi Festival
Indians, faces smeared with colored powder, dance during Holi celebrations in Gauhati, India, Wednesday, March. 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
India Holi Festival Widows
Indian Hindu widows play music and chant as others throw flowers as part of Holi celebrations organized by the NGO Sulabh at the Meera Sahbhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The widows, many of whom at times have lived desperate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated the festival for the first time at the century old ashram. After their husband's deaths the women have been banished by their families to the town where devotees believe Lord Krishna was born, for supposedly bringing bad luck. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
India Holi Festival
An Indian sprays colored water on others during holi celebrations outside Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)