The Hindu festival Holi, also known as the festival of colors, marks the beginning of the spring season in the Indian subcontinent.
Millions of Hindus around the world are preparing to celebrate Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors.
The festival marks the beginning of the spring season in the Indian subcontinent.
Here’s what we know about this year’s festivities:
When is Holi celebrated?
Holi is celebrated in the Phagun, the 12th month of the Hindu calendar, which corresponds to the Gregorian calendar February or March. This year, the festival will be celebrated on March 18th, though the festivities will be longer in some places.
With a significant decline in COVID cases after two years of fighting the coronavirus in India, millions of people are ready to celebrate after the muted festivities of last year.
What’s the story behind Holi?
Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil and there are various stories about its origin.
The most popular legend in Hindu mythology says that the festival marked Lord Vishnu’s triumph over King Hiranyakashyapu, who killed anyone who disobeyed him or worshiped other gods.
The king had a son named Prahlad, who never worshiped his father and worshiped Vishnu instead. Hiranyakashyapu was so unhappy that he conspired with his sister Holika to kill his son.
Holika agreed to kill her nephew, lure Prahlad into a pyre, and try to burn him. However, Vishnu came to Prahlad’s rescue and Holika eventually burned Pyre.
To this day, Hindu devotees celebrate Holika Dahan on the eve of Holi to mark the event by holding fire in their neighborhoods.
How long does Holi last?
The celebration of Holi usually lasts for two days, with Holika Dahan and one day for colors to throw each other its highlights.
On the day of Holi, people of all ages take to the streets to smear themselves with dry or wet paint and to shower in powder paint and water. There is a lot of dancing and singing.
“People are even standing on their roofs to throw water balloons at random people who are going on the streets,” said Sashreek Garg, who hails from Una in the northern Himachal Pradesh state of India, Al Jazeera.
“It’s my favorite festival. It connects people, cultures and even strangers. Now that I’m away from home, I miss the feeling of coming together,” said Garg, who is currently a university student in Qatar.
Vaamika Shrivastava, another Indian from the central state of Madhya Pradesh, also says that Holi brings people together and that the festival has expanded its religious boundaries.
Shrivastava says she has lived in different places in India and has seen one constant everywhere: Holi.
“In every new place we lived, we used to have Holi parties in an open area in the neighborhood with lots of colors, water guns and music and it was a party for everyone,” she told Al Jazeera.
“Holi is more than just the religion it comes from. It’s about celebrating the love and colors of life in early spring.
Where is Holi celebrated?
Holi is celebrated in most parts of India, with each region having its own traditions. The festivities in northern India tend to be more colorful and lively, while those in the south focus mainly on religious and temple rituals.
However, even among the northern states, there is a difference in how long the festivities last and what the people do. Garg, for example, never attended a Holika Dahan fire on the eve of Holi. “In Himachal, we do not celebrate holidays,” he said.
Andre Visperas is a Hindu from the Philippines. He said he celebrated Holi for the first time when he went to India for a pilgrimage to Uttar Pradesh state in 2009.
“Before that, I celebrated Holi alone, but I only celebrated the spiritual aspect of it rather than the solemn traditions such as the tossing of colored powder,” Visperas told Al Jazeera.
Holi is also celebrated in other South Asian countries like Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh which have a significant Hindu population. It is also celebrated by the Hindu Diaspora in several countries including the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
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