Holi is the Hindu festival of colors, which is celebrated to mark the start of spring in India, Nepal and the diaspora. The festival typically falls in March. Celebrants rejoice by throwing colored powders at one another on the street. Festivities also involve special holiday foods, music and dancing.
FILE - A woman smeared with colors celebrates Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. FILE - A woman smeared with colors celebrates Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. FILE - A woman smeared with colors celebrates Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
In one origin story, the king, Hiranyakashipu, ordered everyone in his kingdom to worship him and was irked when his own son Prahlad, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, disobeyed his command. So, he ordered his sister Holika who was immune from fire to take the child, Prahlad, into a bonfire while holding him in her lap. However, when the pyre was lit, the boy’s devotion to Lord Vishnu protected him and left him unscathed while Holika, despite her immunity, burned to death.
On the day of Holi, entire streets and towns are filled with people who throw colored powder in the air. Some fling balloons filled with colored water from rooftops and others use squirt guns. For one day, it’s all fair game. Cries of “Holi hai!” which means “It’s Holi!” can be heard on the streets. Holi has also been romanticized and popularized over the decades in Bollywood films.
The colors seen during Holi symbolize different things. Blue represents the color of Lord Krishna’s skin while green symbolizes spring and rebirth. Red symbolizes marriage or fertility while both red and yellow — commonly used in ritual and ceremony — symbolize auspiciousness.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
What is Holi, the Hindu festival of colors and how is it celebrated?Holi is the Hindu festival of colors, which is celebrated to mark the start of spring in India, Nepal and the diaspora.
Read more »
“Celebrate Holi on March 25 at Union Market District”From a press release: 'Get ready for a fun-filled Holi celebration at Union Market District! Following the overwhelming success of last year's event, we’re excited to bring back the colorful festival of Holi—this year on its official date, according to the Hindu calendar.
Read more »
Holi Celebration at Union Market DistrictGet ready for a fun-filled Holi celebration at Union Market District! Following the overwhelming success of last year’s event, we’re excited to bring back the colorful festivities.
Read more »
Holi Celebration at Union Market DistrictGet ready for a fun-filled Holi celebration at Union Market District! Following the overwhelming success of last year’s event, we’re excited to bring back the colorful...
Read more »
Milpitas celebrates Hindu festival of colorsCity hosts second annual Holi event.
Read more »
Local Hindu community commemorates 25th Maha Shivaratri at Sri Vidya temple in RushRush, N.Y. — The congregation of a local Hindu temple celebrated Maha Shivaratri over the weekend.Maha Shivaratri is a 24-hour period when, according to Hindu b
Read more »