The Holi festival is one of the biggest and most colourful Hindu festivals, celebrating the joy of spring, love and the victory of good. The festival is held on the day of the full moon in the Hindu calendar, usually in March. It lasts for two days and offers a variety of ceremonies, games, entertainment and fun. In 2024, the Holi festival day will be 25 March, but preparations for the festival will start as early as 19 March.
The first day, Holika Dahan, celebrates the role of fire in destroying evil and sin. On this day, people light fires and tell tales of the death of the evil Holika, who tried to kill the pure-hearted Prahlada but finally he burnt in the fire. By the fire, people pray, sing, dance and make sacrifices.
The second day, Dhulandi, is the day of colours, when people throw water and coloured powder (gulal) at each other to express their joy and friendship towards each other. The colours symbolise the beauty of spring and the feeling of love. After the colourful game, people visit their family and friends to enjoy delicious food and drinks together.
Although the festival is very interesting and fun, these events can be quite crowded in big cities, for foreigners it is worth going on guided Holi tours, which are organised by major Indian hotels.
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