Holi Festival Date

Holi — the Hindu Festival of Colors

Holi is the Hindu spring festival, held the day after the full moon (pūrnimā) of the lunar month of Phalguna. On the Gregorian calendar that works out to somewhere between late February and the middle of March. The day stands for winter ending, spring coming in, and good winning out over evil.

There are two main versions of the myth behind it. One is the story of Holika and Prahlada. The demoness Holika tried to burn the young devotee Prahlada in a fire, but it was she who was consumed while Vishnu kept him safe, and that is what the bonfire of Holika Dahan recalls on the eve. The other celebrates the playful love of Krishna and Radha. Young Krishna, with his dark skin, teasingly threw color on the fair-skinned Radha, and from that came the tradition of throwing colored powders (gulal) and water.

For the length of the festival the usual divides fall away. Differences of class, gender, age and above all caste are set aside, and anyone can throw color on anyone. People sing and dance, drink thandai (a milk drink sometimes laced with bhang) and eat gujiya, a stuffed sweet. The two great centers of it all are Mathura and Vrindavan, held to be the birthplace of Krishna, which draw millions of pilgrims and tourists.

Applications

Planning a trip to India, where it falls in high season and hotels fill up months ahead. Running Holi-themed events elsewhere, now that the festival has caught on worldwide. Lining up academic and corporate calendars around the Indian diaspora. Anthropological work on rites of inversion, the moments when social hierarchies are suspended. And event marketing built around colored powder.

FAQ

What's the difference between Holika Dahan and Rangwali Holi? Holika Dahan is the ritual bonfire lit on the eve, standing for the burning away of evil. Rangwali Holi, also called Dhulandi, is the next day, and that is when the colors and water actually fly.

Are the colors safe? The powders were once made from flowers and herbs such as turmeric, henna and sandalwood. A lot of them are synthetic now and can carry heavy metals, so it pays to use certified organic powders, especially anywhere near the eyes.

Is Holi celebrated only in India? No. You will find it in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and South Africa. In the West it caught on as the "Holi Festival" or the "Color Run", though often cut loose from its religious roots.