Best wishes for a happy Holi

It is with great pleasure that I wish everyone a happy Holi.

Holi is a festival of colour and love, and a joyous time to spend with friends and family. I hope you enjoy the festive spirit, music, dance and colour that are a quintessential part of Holi celebrations.

Holi is an important cultural occasion for more than 440,000 Hindus living in Australia, who have made a wonderful contribution to our nation. Australia is a country of many faith-based communities, which is vital to our democracy.

While Holi marks the arrival of Spring in India, many people of all backgrounds will have the opportunity to participate in the traditions associated with the celebration. It’s a wonderful occasion to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity through covering each other with colourful powders and water representing the bright colours of Spring, at one of the many community events held across Australia.

Holi offers an opportunity to share our traditions, celebrate what it means to be Australian, and help everyone to feel included in our society. We can all embrace strong bonds of friendship between people of different cultures, and it’s events like Holi that contribute to making Australia the most successful migrant nation in the world.

We are a more prosperous nation thanks to the valuable contribution of migrants who have brought their skills, experiences, food, music, culture and enthusiasm when they have made Australia their home.

Happy Holi!