Holi is celebrated over two days, based on the when the full moon falls, and this year that is March 9th and 10th. This tradition celebrates the arrival of spring, signifies victory of good over evil, is a day of happiness, love, and forgiveness, and also as a way to give thanks for a good harvest. It is a time for "forgiveness and new starts, peace and unity" where the people "follow no norms and have as much fun as you want" according to Holifestival.org and when you look at pictures its hard to deny that it looks like a fantastically fun time! But how did the color throwing start? What about the big bonfire the day before?
On March 9th this year, the day before Holi, Holika Dahan is celebrated with large bonfires that people perform rituals in front of and say prayers for their inner demons to be cast out. This comes from a legend about a King named Hiranyakashipu who wished to be worshiped as a god by his people and in doing so, they would denounce Vishnu. His son, Prahlada, refused to do such a thing and was subsequently subjected to cruel punishments by his irate father. The last of such punishments was that the king recruited his sister, Holika, to trick Prahlada into sitting on a blazing fire with her. The idea was, Holika would wear a cloak that protected her from the fire while Prahlada would suffer. However, the cloak wound up flying off of Holika and onto Prahlada instead, saving his life. After such a show of devotion, Vishnu himself was terribly impressed and appeared as the avatar Narsimha to destroy the king. Thus marking the end of evil.
March 10th is when the fun begins! Based on a legend of Lord Krishna, who developed blue skin after a demon poisoned him with her breast milk, being concerned that Radha and her friends would never like him due to the color of his skin. His mother suggested that he go up to her and smudge her face with a color of his choosing. This playful act evolved into the celebration we now know as Holi, where people gather in the streets to throw plant-based colored powders at one another or to dose them with colored water in water guns and balloons. On this day there boys and girls are freely allowed to mix, even in very conservative or strict societies- the emphasis is on fun after all and forgetting your day-to-day norms!!
There are places in India that have different ways to celebrate this tradition. In Barsana they celebrate a form of Holi known as Lathmar Holi, where women beat men with sticks while observers chant "Sri Krishna" or "Sri Radhey." In Maharashrta they celebrate something called Matki Phod, breaking the pot, where men form a human pyramid to reach a high hanging pot of buttermilk. The one who breaks the pot is then crowned Holi King of the Year. In Vrindavan widows and estranged women douse themselves in color. Meanwhile, in Punjab, Sikhs celebrate with colors the day after Holi, known as Hola Mohalla.
No matter which way you celebrate, its sure to be a lively affair filled with energy, excitement, happiness, and of course a kaleidoscope of colors everywhere you turn. So, if you're a last minute deal finder, get yourself to India this year or if you're a normal human being, try for next years Holika Dahan and Holi celebrations happening on March 28th and 29th!! Let us know if you'll be going or if you've been before in the comments!
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