Festivals Around the world
INDIA
Holi is a Hindu spring festival celebrated in the India, also known as the "festival of colours". The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. Every year it comes on the month of Phalguna, which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March in the Hindu calendar. The first evening is known as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi.
Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform religious rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi – a free-for-all festival of colours, where people smear each other with colours and drench each other. Water guns and water-filled balloons are also used to play and colour each other. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. The frolic and fight with colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and other musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People visit family, friends and foes to throw coloured powders on each other, laugh and gossip, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks. In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up and visit friends and family and greet HAPPY HOLI!!
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