Holi - the Festival of Colors

How do Indians celebrate the coming of Spring? Well, we have a festival called Holi. I’m sure a common picture associated with India is one of vibrant colored powders smeared on people’s faces. That’s exactly what Holi is. It signifies the coming of Spring after a long Winter. We should first start off by talking about the myth behind Holi. There was an evil demon king named Hiranyakashyap; he had a kind son named Prahalad. Hiranyakashyap wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship him, but his son only worshipped the Hindu deity Vishnu, instead. This made his father angry, so his father decided to teach his son a lesson. He put his son in the lap of Holika, a demoness who was immune to fire, and he lit them on fire. Because of Prahalad’s constant chanting of Vishnu’s name, he emerged the fire unscathed, but Holika burned up instead. Holi signifies the power of good over evil. Many people actually light bonfires on Holi to keep evil spirits away. This year, Holi will begin on March 28th, 2021, and end on March 29th, 2021. It falls on Purnima or a night of a full moon.

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“Holi 2021: Holi Festival 2021 Dates, History, Importance and Significance.” FabHotels Travel Blog, www.fabhotels.com/blog/indian-holiday-calendar/holi-festival/.

Kidangoor, Abhishyant. “What Is Holi? What to Know About India's Festival of Colors.” Time, Time, 9 Mar. 2020, time.com/5799354/what-is-holi/.