One of the most popular festivals in India is the Holi Festival held every year on the day of the full moon in the Hindu calendar month of Phalgun (March). Also known as the Spring Festival, Holi marks the end of the cooler winter months and the beginning of spring, a celebrated season as it brings warmer days, new produce, love and joy. Attracting countless visitors to India each year, Holi is said to have ‘no bars and no boundaries’and is also celebrated within Indian communities worldwide
How is Holi celebrated?
Great excitement can be seen in people on the next day when it is actually the time for the play of colours. Shops and offices remain closed for the day and people get all the time to get crazy and whacky. Bright colours of gulal and abeer fill the air and people take turns in pouring colour water over each other.
Traditional white robes are worn and every reveller is armed with a dazzling array of dye and powder bombs, water pistols and all manner of chromatic weaponry. Anyone who gets close enough to get coloured is fair game!
Children take special delight in spraying colours on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons. Women and senior citizen form groups called tolis and move in colonies – applying colours and exchanging greetings. Songs, dance on the rhythm of dholak and mouthwatering Holi delicacies are the other highlights of the day. Parties are often organized where people dance to music and greet each other with colors.
Reference: vodkatrain, bedandchai
