India Holi Festival

Years ago while visiting India, I got to experience the wonderful festival of Holi, a ritual in which young and old alike celebrate the coming of spring by having bonfires and throwing colored powder and water on each other. It's messy, it's raucous, it's loads of fun, and it's something I can't imagine we in the staid and litigation-fearful United States would ever allow. Stand in the streets and get turned blue or red or purple? Nonsense!

Holi is celebrated annually on a lunar cycle, so the festival may fall in late February or early March. The festivities begin with bonfires on the eve of Holi. The next day is called Dhuleti, and this is when the play of colors occurs. Some people rub dry powder on each other's faces and clothes, while others mix the powders with water and pour or throw buckets of it at each other. The festival is held throughout India, although it's apparently more common and celebrated with more gusto in the north.

Legend of Holi
Holi is associated with several legends. The most popular involves an evil king who forbade his son to worship Vishnu. When the son continued to offer prayers to the god, the king challenged his son to sit on a burning pyre with his wicked aunt Holika, who was thought to be immune to flames. The son prayed to Vishnu for protection and was saved, while the evil Holika was burnt in the flames. Thus, the bonfires during Holi celebrate the triumph of good over evil, and in some places effigies of Holika are thrown into the fires.

Holi is also a time to forget past grievances. People hug each other and say, "Holi hai," or "Happy Holi." And couldn't we all use a little more fun, forgiveness and a hug? Too bad this celebration has never caught on in the US!

Indians Celebrate Holi




Portrait of Holi Festival Reveller, Pushkar, India




Applying Pink Power During Holi

Send free Holi greeting cards online with one of these services.

123Greetings
Select from nine categories of Holi cards, including love, thank you, friendship and invitations.

IndiaExpress
Find a small selection of free Holi ecards.

Hi! Greetings
Animated flash cards and postcards

Blue Mountain Greetings
Offers free and premium Holi cards

Holicolor.net
Eight categories of free electronic Holi cards

You can play Holi online at IndiaPress or Virtual Holi.

For kids, they can get in the spirit with these Holi Coloring Pages.

You can make a page like this and make money. Tell the world about your favorite celebrations, hobbies, movies, or other interests and get paid. It's easy! Simply sign up and start your page now.