Celebrating as ‘One Guyana’: Georgetown residents join in Phagwah festivities

Phagwah has for years been a testament to the unity that lies at the heart of Guyanese.

After two years of COVID-19 restrictions, citizens across the country, turned up in their numbers to celebrate the festival of colours.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) took its cameras to the streets where Guyanese, from all walks of life celebrated with friends, families, and neighbours.

Many of them shared their thoughts about the holiday.

“This is a wonderful occasion. We saw the president a couple days ago enjoy himself and now the people are out here in their numbers, they enjoying themselves, as you can see, all races, all classes of persons enjoying themselves,” a resident expressed.

“It’s about enjoyment, celebration of good will, togetherness, unity and as far I am concerned, it is One Guyana…Fifty years of age and this thing is all about celebration, having happiness, joy, and we must all be able to celebrate even if it’s a Christian religion or Muslim religion, we must always have this unity”, a resident of Station Street, Kitty said. 

Another excited citizen related that, “I think today shows the real culture of Guyana, where Phagwah is kind of significant whereby there are people of all colours. Right now, there is no discrimination against colour because we all are Guyanese.”

“I want everybody enjoying themselves. I am a Muslim that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy myself, so everybody, one love. It’s important for unity. Live, love and enjoy, respect and manners,” said another Georgetown resident, who was having a great time.

“I am enjoying this because nowhere else in the world you find this. This is one day, everybody come together as one,” expressed another.

Phagwah celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and it is one of the many national celebrations that brings Guyanese of all religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds together.