Introduction: Holi is a religious festival of the Hindus. Though, it is most popular in India, it is celebrated in every corner of the world as a ‘Festival of colours’.
Holi is an ancient festival. It is better known as “Phaguwa” in Bihar and “Dol Purnima” in West Bengal.
Month of Celebration (time): It is celebrated in the month of February or March.
Celebration: Holi festival is generally celebrated for two days. On the primary day, the ceremony of Holika Dahan takes place. The story of Bhakt Prahalad and Holika is related to the event.
On following day, people celebrate Holi with great enthusiasm. People visit friends and families to spray colored water on them. People roam on streets and throw colored water balloons on others. Some people that don’t wish to get wet play with dry colors solely.
The people on whom these colors are sprayed doesn’t get angry. In-fact, in most of the cases, they have their own stock of colors ready at hand.
People clean their homes in advance. They make tasty desserts and share it with friends and family. They enjoy cold drinks such as “thandai”. Some adult also consume drinks that are intoxicating.
Importance: On this day, individuals forget their enmity and forgive each others. Even enemies become friends and play Holi together. This festival fosters a sense of brotherhood among people.
Modern Issues: During the early day, natural colors were used to play holi. People used to play Holi with home based herbs such haldi (turmeric), chandan (sandalwood), etc. In modern times, the use of artificial colors and dyes has causes several health related issues.