Holi
The Festival
What Is Holi?
Holi is the colourful Hindu festival celebrated since ancient
times in agricultural areas to throw off the darkness of
winter and welcome the light of spring. Holi is celebrated
following the full moon in the month of ‘Phalguna’ in
the Hindu calendar so its date varies. It usually falls
between February and March.
Holi also commemorates various
events in Hindu mythology, including the legend of a
demon king. The name Holi is thought to come from
Holika, the sister of the demon king, Hiranyakashyap.
In Hindu mythology, Holika is said to have been
burned in place of Hiranyakashyap’s son Prahlad
when he was sentenced to death
by his father for worshipping the
Hindu god Lord Vishnu. Therefore,
Holi is also seen as a time to celebrate good
overcoming evil.
Holi, a national festival celebrated across India, is
mainly a fun festival where people can relax. It is
celebrated over two days. The first day is known as
Holika Dahan and the second as Rangwali Holi.
How Is Holi Celebrated?
Holi is associated with relaxed social expectations, which means that all people
mix regardless of age, gender or wealth. Behaviour expectations are also relaxed,
resulting in a fun but chaotic atmosphere. A common saying heard during Holi
is ‘Buran a mano, Holi hai’, which means ‘don’t be offended, it’s
Holi.’
On the evening of Holika Dahan (the first day of the festival),
a public bonfire is lit to celebrate the burning of Holika rather
than Prahlad. For the weeks leading up to Holi, Hindu boys
traditionally collect waste wood for the fire, which is lit
between 10 p.m. and midnight and everyone joins together
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Holi
in the street creating much noise. People perform religious rituals, asking for
forgiveness from their god and praying that any evil will end.
During Rangwali Holi (the second day of the
festival), the colourful part of the celebration
occurs, when people:
• throw coloured paint over each other;
• throw water bombs at each other;
• sing, dance and have fun together.
How Is Holi Celebrated around the World?
Nepal, Asia
Holi is also celebrated in Nepal as a national festival
and is celebrated on the same date as the Indian
Holi. Many of the same activities take place as they
do in India, with a focus on traditional concerts
being held in most cities.
Guyana, South America
Holi arrived in Guyana in the nineteenth century with
forced workers from India but has changed to have a
unique Caribbean-Indian feel with traditional Indian Chowtal music combining
with creole influences. Most people wear old white clothes with the expectation
that they will not remain white for long!
Germany, Europe
Held annually in the German capital, Glossary
Berlin, is a modern take on the Agricultural – Linked to farming.
traditional Hindu festival. The Holi Chowtal – Hindu folksong with
Festival of Colours, Berlin, is an singers and a drummer.
electronic music festival, combining
Creole – Music of African origin
DJs from around the world with
with a variety of instruments
the colourful powder paint of Holi.
including drums.
Bringing together people from all
backgrounds, the partying is a colourful
experience for everyone!
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Holi
The Festival
Celebrated since ancient times in agricultural areas
to throw off the darkness of winter and welcome the
light of spring, Holi is a colourful Hindu festival. Holi is
always celebrated following the full moon in the month
of ‘Phalguna’ in the Hindu calendar, so its date varies but
it usually falls between February and March.
As well as celebrating the beginning of
springtime, Holi also commemorates
various events in Hindu mythology. The name Holi is
thought to come from Holika, the sister of the demon
king, Hiranyakashyap. In Hindu mythology, Holika is
said to have been burned in place of Hiranyakashyap’s
son Prahlad when he was sentenced to death by his
father for worshipping the Hindu god Lord Vishnu. Prahlad
survived and so Holi is also seen as a time to celebrate good
overcoming evil.
Holi, which is a national festival now celebrated across
India, is mainly a time where people can relax with no
religious requirements or prayers. The festival itself
is celebrated over two days: the first day is known
as Holika Dahan and the second as Rangwali Holi.
Each day is associated with different activities, with
the main focus being on having fun!
Holi Celebrations
During Holi, one of the main characteristics is the relaxing of social expectations
usually associated with Hindu cultures, allowing people of all ages, genders or
wealth to mix. Behaviour expectations are also relaxed, resulting
in an enjoyable but often chaotic atmosphere. A common saying
at Holi is ‘Buran a mano, Holi hai’, which means ‘don’t be
offended, it’s Holi.’
On the evening of Holika Dahan (the first day of the festival),
a public bonfire is lit (often in an unorderly way) to celebrate
the burning of Holika rather than Prahlad. For the weeks
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Holi
leading up to Holi, Hindu boys traditionally collect waste wood from their
neighbourhood for the fire, which is lit between 10 p.m. and midnight (when
the moon rises). It is a time when everyone joins together in the street creating
lots of noise. People also perform religious rituals, asking for forgiveness from
their god and praying that any evil will end.
During Rangwali Holi (the second day of the festival), the colourful part of the
celebration occurs when people parade through the streets throwing coloured
paint and water bombs over each other. Rangwali Holi is
also a chance for friends and family to get together
to sing, dance and have fun. Holi usually ends in
the late afternoon when everyone goes home to
wash and change clothes before visiting friends
and relatives. Delicious feasts are prepared for
sharing, including Gujiya, which is a sweet
delicacy stuffed with dried fruits, nuts and
other sweet treats.
Holi around the World
Nepal, Asia
In Nepal, Holi (also known as Phagu Poornima)
is also celebrated as a national festival on the
same date as the Indian Holi. Traditional music
concerts are held in most cities along with many
of the same fun and games that take place in
India during Holi.
Guyana, South America
Holi arrived in Guyana in the nineteenth century with
forced (indentured) workers from India, who were mainly
Hindus unwilling to give up their faith. Over time, Holi in Guyana has altered
to have a unique Caribbean-Indian feel with traditional Indian Chowtal music
(Hindu folksong with singers and a drummer) combining with creole influences
(music of African origin with a variety of instruments including drums). During
Rangwali Holi, it is customary to wear old white clothes with the expectation
that they will not remain white for long!
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Holi
Germany, Europe
Held annually in the German capital, Berlin's Holi Festival of Colours is a
modern take on the traditional Hindu festival. Holi Festival of Colours, Berlin,
is an electronic music festival, combining DJs from around the world with the
colourful powder paint of Holi. Bringing together people from all backgrounds,
the partying is a colourful experience for everyone!
Did You Know…?
The festival of Holi is also associated with Lord Krishna and his love for
Radha.
Photo courtesy of VinothChandar (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence – attribution
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Holi
The Festival
Celebrated since ancient times in agricultural areas to throw
off the darkness of winter and welcome the light of spring, is
the colourful Hindu festival of Holi. Holi is always celebrated
following the full moon in the month of ‘Phalguna’ in the
Hindu calendar, so its date varies but it usually falls between
February and March in the Gregorian calendar (the most
widely used calendar across the world).
As well as celebrating the beginning of springtime, Holi also
commemorates various events in Hindu mythology. One of these
is the legend of a demon king. The name Holi is thought to come
from Holika, the sister of the demon king, Hiranyakashyap. In
Hindu mythology,Holika is said to have been burned in place of
Hiranyakashyap’s son Prahlad, who had been sentenced to death
by his father for worshipping the Hindu god Lord Vishnu. Prahlad
survived and so Holi is also seen as a time to celebrate good overcoming evil.
Unlike many other Hindu holidays, Holi, which is a national festival
now celebrated across India, is mainly a time where people can
relax with no religious requirements or prayers. The festival
itself is celebrated over two days: the first day is known as
Holika Dahan and the second as Rangwali Holi. Each day
is associated with different activities, with the main focus
being on having fun!
Holi Celebrations
During Holi, one of the main characteristics is the relaxing of social expectations
usually associated with Hindu cultures. This means that people mix regardless of
age, gender or wealth and behaviour expectations are also relaxed, resulting in
an enjoyable but often chaotic atmosphere. It is common to hear people saying,
“Buran a mano, Holi hai,” during Holi, which means ‘don’t
be offended, it’s Holi.’
On the evening of Holika Dahan (the first day of the festival),
a public bonfire is lit (often in an unorderly way) to celebrate
the burning of Holika rather than Prahlad. For the weeks
leading up to Holi, Hindu boys traditionally collect waste
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Holi
wood from their neighbourhood for the fire, which is lit between 10 p.m. and
midnight (when the moon rises). It is a time when everyone joins together in
the street creating lots of noise. People also perform religious rituals, asking for
forgiveness from their god and praying that any evil will end.
During Rangwali Holi (the second day of the festival), the colourful part of the
celebration occurs when people parade through the streets throwing coloured
paint and water bombs over each other; many adults wear a white kurta (a
traditional Indian tunic-style top) and carry some of the dried powder called
gulal with them, while children tend to be armed with
pichkaris (water squirters). Rangwali Holi is also a
chance for friends and family to get together to sing,
dance and have fun. Holi usually ends in the late
afternoon when everyone goes home to wash and
change clothes before visiting friends and relatives.
Delicious feasts are prepared for sharing, including
Gujiya, which is a sweet delicacy stuffed with dried
fruits, nuts and other sweet treats.
Holi around the World
Now an international festival due to the movement of
Hindus around the world, Holi has altered according to
the country within which is it being celebrated.
Nepal, Asia
In Nepal, Holi (also known as Phagu Poornima) is also
celebrated as a national festival on the same date as the
Indian Holi. Traditional music concerts are held in most cities
along with many of the same fun and games that take place in India during
Holi (although there is less of a focus on having bonfires as in India).
Guyana, South America
When forced (indentured) workers from India arrived in Guyana in the nineteenth
century, they took Holi with them as most were Hindus unwilling to give up their
faith. However, over the years, Holi has changed to have a unique Caribbean-
Indian feel with traditional Indian Chowtal music (Hindu folksong with singers
and a drummer) combining with creole influences (music of African origin with
Page 2 of 3 visit twinkl.com
Holi
a variety of instruments including drums). As with most Holi celebrations, it
is customary to wear old white clothes with the expectation that they will not
remain white for long!
Berlin, Germany, Europe
Held annually in the German capital, Berlin's Holi Festival of Colours is a
modern take on the traditional Hindu festival. Holi Festival of Colours, Berlin,
is an electronic music festival, combining DJs from around the world with the
colourful powder paint of Holi. Bringing together people from all backgrounds,
the partying is a colourful experience for everyone!
Did You Know…?
Traditionally, Holi paint was made with natural ingredients, such as
turmeric or sunflowers mixed with extracts of Neem (Indian Lilac) and
Bilva (wood apple) to create a naturally coloured paste. Modern times have
seen more people using dyes and synthetic chemicals, which are easier and
cheaper to produce, but many people worry about the negative effects of
these chemicals on people and the environment.
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