What is Holi?
Also known as the Festival of Colors, Holi is a Hindu holiday celebrated in India and across the world! The celebration falls on the first full moon of Phalguna, the twelfth month of the Hindu Calendar, which typically falls between February and March on the Georgian calendar. In 2024, Holi begins on March 25.
Holi is an ancient holiday that celebrates the arrival of spring─ famously mentioned in fourth-century Indian Literature like the Puranas, and stone inscriptions dating as far back as 300 BCE. Due to this longevity, many legends have become attached to the holiday, impacting how Holi is celebrated today and what it represents to people. Holi is now also associated with themes of good triumphing over evil, love, forgiveness, and forging bonds.
How is Holi celebrated?
India is a vast country with a diverse population, as such the traditions surrounding Holi vary from place to place. While not a comprehensive list, here are some common ways Holi is celebrated throughout India and the desi diaspora!
In many places across India, Holi starts the eve before with Holika Dahan, or Chhoti Holi. On this night, a giant bonfire is made in a public area and effigies of Holika & Prahlad are often added to the fire to recreate the legend, symbolizing good overcoming evil. The legend goes that King Hiranyakashyap ordered everyone to worship him over the gods, but Prahlad, his son, defies this order by worshiping Vishnu. King Hiranyakashyap in his rage convinces his sister, the demoness Holika, to kill Prahlad. Holika attempts to kill Prahlad by carrying him into a pyre, believing her immunity to fire will protect her. This attempt is thwarted when Vishnu himself saves Prahlad from the fire while Holika burns.
How did Holi become known as the Festival of Colors? Why, through the game of Holi of course! Wearing white clothes, or old clothes one doesn’t mind getting stained, communities will gather to play Holi together. During the game, colored powdered (known as gulal) and dyed water will be thrown, smeared, and squirted (with water guns known as pichkaris) at and by all those participating. This vibrant and mischievous game comes from the legend of how Krishna confessed his love to his wife. The specifics of the legend can vary from place to place, with one such variation being that Krishna fell in love with the milkmaid, Radha, but was shy about confessing due to his dark blue skin. When asking his mother for advice, she jokingly suggests he color Radha any color he likes. Krishna, being a playful man, decided to take her advice literally and devised the game of Holi to play with Radha and confess his love!
During Holi, the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra participate in the tradition of “breaking the pot.” Where men form a large human tower to break a pot of buttermilk, one that has been strung up high above the streets. While this game is more associated with the holiday of Janmashtami, during Holi women will sing Holi folksongs and douse those playing with buckets of water. This game comes from stories regarding young Krishna’s love for butter, and how his mother and village would store their pots of it up high to keep it away from him. Only, their efforts would be for naught as Krishna would devise ways to knock them down!
In the hometowns of Krishna and Radha, Nandgaon and Barsana respectively, Lathmar Holi is played in honor of the divine couple. Every Holi, men from Nandgaon and women from Barsana engage in a mock battle, recreating the legend of Holi. In retaliation for the men pranking them and smearing them with Holi colors, like Krishna did to Radha, the women will pretend to beat the men with sticks. Worry not though, the men have shields to protect them and everything is in good fun! After the mock battle, sweets, drinks, and dances are shared in celebration and reconciliation.
Festival of Colors by Kabir Sehgal & Surishitha Seghal
Learn all about Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors, in this lush picture book from bestselling mother/son duo Surishtha Sehgal and Kabir Sehgal.
Spring is here, and it’s almost time for Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors. Siblings Mintoo and Chintoo are busy gathering flowers to make into colorful powders to toss during the festival. And when at last the big day comes, they gather with their friends, family, and neighbors for a vibrant celebration of fresh starts, friendship, forgiveness, and, of course, fun!
Experience Holi with every color of the rainbow!
This Hindu celebration known as the festival of colors and the festival of love signifies the end of winter, the arrival of spring, and the victory of good over evil.
A time to laugh, play, visit friends, and get messy! Little ones will love exploring the colors of Holi through the vibrant photographs and Singh's playful rhymes in this brilliant concept book.
It is the day before India's Festival of Colors, Holi! Maya is looking forward to splashing and spraying colors with her friends and family. She falls on her head and wakes up in a black-and-white world with a chaos of colors. Why does everyone and everything look so different? Will Maya be able to play Holi tomorrow? And what fun is Holi without the colors? Maya heads out to explore this confusing world.
Celebrate the Hindu festival of colors.
Gauri is excited to splash colors on everyone for Holi. But when she doesn't get her favorite color, Gauri gets mad. Will she find a way to overcome her anger and join in the festivities?