Are you one of the people that wonder why there is always a splash of colors and water balloons in India in spring? Well, we are here to help you out. It is the Holi festival, the most colorful festival celebrated in India.
Holi is a joyous festival indigenous to the Hindus. The festival involves playing music, bonfires, eating Indian delicacies, and pouring colors. Although the festival is widely celebrated in India, it has now gained popularity all over the world. Many Holi events are also organized in the United State of America and the United Kingdom.
What Is Holi?
Holi is the celebration of love, good over evil, and color. It is indigenous to the Hindus. The celebration of Holi dated back to many centuries in India. The festival marks the end of the winter weather and the beginning of the spring season in the country. Holi has no fixed date every year but it is celebrated according to the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna.
How Is Holi Celebrated?
Holi is celebrated all over the world but it is predominantly celebrated in India and Nepal. Before the day, many people spend time gathering woods to do the bonfire. On the eve of the first day, Holika Dahan is performed in many parts of India. It signifies the burning of evil and people gather together to throw dry wood and leaves into the fire.
On the next day, the entire street is filled with children throwing water balloons and colored water on each other. The adult goes from door to door visiting their friends and also pouring colors on them. Different color fills the air and the cities turn yellow, red, pink, as teenagers, children, and adults pour each other colors.
Water guns are also used to throw water and balloons filled with water are thrown from the rooftop in excitement. The festival is also celebrated with music and dancing in the street. The Holi festival is also celebrated by friends and family coming together with a huge feast of sweet and special delicacies.
Why Is Holi Popular Outside India?
The Holi festival is now gaining more attention all over the world. This is because of the population of Indians and other South Asians living all over the world. Just like the Diwali festival, South Asian communities abroad gather together to celebrate it.
They did this to teach their children the Indian culture and let them experience it even when they are not in the country. They also teach them many Holi Quotes in Hindi to help them understand the ancient culture better.
Some of them also organize non-profit Holi events to encourage the South Asian community to come together and celebrate the festival. These events often include dancing, short plays that explain the history behind the Holi festival, and many more. This makes the South Asian community to teach and show their children Indian heritage while enjoying themselves.
Many of the non-profit Holi events organized by South Asian abroad have been condemned by many people. Some people believe they just celebrate it for the fun and ignore the religious significance of the festival.
What Is The History of The Holi Festival?
The history of the Holi festival is deeply rooted in the Hindu tradition. There are many stories behind the festival and many legends are also connected with the festival history. One of the stories is the story of Holika and Prahlada. Holika is the sister of Hiranyakashipu, the father of Prahlada.
Hiranyakashipu was a powerful king that prayed for powers from the gods for many years. This wicked king told his people to start worshipping him and Prahlada refused to obey because he was devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu.
Hiranyakashipu was very mad at his son and planned to kill him. He made a plan with his sister Holika to enter the fire with Prahlada in her laps. This is because she had protection against fire but Prahlada do not. They carried out the plan but it did not succeed because Prahlada came out of the fire alive and Holika was consumed by the fire. This is because god Vishnu saved Prahlada.
Hiranyakashipu was later killed by god Vishnu because of his wickedness. This is why bonfire is done after sunset before the Holi in celebration of the victory of Prahlada over Holika.
What to Do When Going Out on Holi Festival
One of the most important things to know is that many locals will pour you colors whether they know you or not. Holi colors were traditionally made up of natural colors but things have changed over the years. Many synthetic colors are now being manufactured and sold to the public during the Holi festival.
Those synthetic colors often contain toxic substances which can irritate your skin. Some can also cause inflammation when they come in contact with your skin. This is why it is important to always check the ingredient list of your Holi powder before purchasing it to make sure it is not chemical-based.
However, you do not know the kind of color is splashed at you when you are out during the Holi festival to celebrate and have fun with your friends and family. To prevent your skin from irritation, put on a long-sleeve cloth and trouser. Also, rub your skin with oil before going out of your house. This will allow you to wash out the color easily on your skin.
Females are also advised to take precautions in large places where there are more men than women. This is because it can create an unsafe environment for them.
Females should attend festival parties organized by groups of friends and family to avoid any misconduct.
If you are going with a camera, make sure you use camera protection and be careful while taking videos and pictures. This is because colors might be splash on your camera. Beware of drinking too much of Bhang Lassi. This is because it is a highly intoxicating drink prepared with the leaves of cannabis.
Also Read : The Best Way to Celebrate the Holi Festival