The weather is getting warmer, the snow is melting, and in India, wheat is being harvested. Spring is here, and it’s the perfect time for a celebration!
People around the world welcome spring in different ways, but in India, it’s celebrated with a burst of color during a festival called Holi. Holi is one of the most vibrant and well-known holidays in Hinduism, a religion that originated in India.
To help you learn about Holi, where it comes from, and how it’s celebrated, we put together a holiday guide for families:
What is Holi?
Holi (pronounced “holy”), also called the “Festival of Colors,” is a joyous Hindu celebration observed in India, Nepal, and many other parts of the world. People celebrating Holi welcome the beginning of spring with colored powder, water balloons, singing and dancing, and special meals.
When is Holi?
Holi falls on a different day every year because it is determined by the Hindu calendar, which is based on the phases of the moon. The modern calendar used by most countries of the world, the Gregorian calendar, is a solar calendar based on Earth’s rotation around the Sun.
Holi occurs on the day of the last full moon in Phalguna, the 12th month of the Hindu calendar. It usually falls in late February or March of the Gregorian calendar and is associated with the transition from winter to spring. In 2025, Holi is on March 14th.
What does Holi celebrate?
Holi has its origins in Hindu mythology. There are two legends typically associated with the festival:
Prahlad
An evil and powerful king, Hiranyakashipu (pronounced “h ih-r uh n-y uh k-sh ih-p uu”), believed he ruled the universe and was better than the gods. Hiranyakashipu ordered everyone to worship him, but his son, Prahlad, worshipped the god Vishnu, the protector of the universe.
Hiranyakashipu asked his sister, Holika, to punish Prahlad for defying him. Holika was supposedly immune to fire and tried to burn Prahlad, but Prahlad was saved by Vishnu and remained unharmed, while Holika burned instead. This story symbolizes the power of good over evil, a significant theme of the Holi festival.
Krishna and Radha
When Krishna was a baby, a demon named Putana tried to poison him. However, because of Krishna’s divine nature, Putana’s poison did not harm him and instead turned his skin blue.
When Krishna grew older, he fell in love with the beautiful Radha, but he worried that Radha wouldn’t like him because of his blue skin. Krisha’s mother, Yashoda, suggested he rub colored powder on Radha’s face so their skin would match.
Krisha followed his mother’s advice, and Radha fell in love with Krishna due to his playfulness. The act of throwing colored powder is a popular tradition of Holi, symbolizing love and togetherness.
How is Holi celebrated?
Holika Dahan
Celebrations begin the day before the Holi festival on what is called Holika Dahan. On Holika Dahan, people light and gather around a bonfire, sometimes with an effigy (representation) of Holika, to celebrate the victory of good over evil.
Rangwali Holi
The next day, on what is called Rangwali Holi, people hold a colorful celebration. Participants throw colored powder (called gulal) and water balloons at one another in honor of Krishna and Radha. During the festival, people also sing, dance, and play drums.
According to tradition, different colored powders have different meanings. For example, red symbolizes love, green stands for new beginnings, pink means joy, and blue represents Krishna, the god of compassion and love.
Holi is a joyful celebration of love, new beginnings, and good triumphing over evil. There’s a popular saying of “Bura na mano, Holi hai!” which means “Don’t mind, it’s Holi!”
On Holi, people of all backgrounds come together to take part in the merriment and playful festivities. Holi is a time for forgiveness, togetherness, letting go of worries, and making memories with your family and friends.
Bura na mano, Holi hai!
