” Holi” (Holi), Holi means “color” in Hindi, “Holi ” is also known as Holi Festival , Holi Festival, Holi Festival, Joy Festival, Colorful Festival, Holi Festival; it is the oldest One of the Hindu festivals, and also the traditional Indian New Year, is very popular among Indians (mainly Hindus , Sikhs, etc.) distributed in India, Nepal, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad, England, Mauritius and Fiji. , Buddhists , Jains ) and most Nepalis (mainly Hindus and Buddhists ) are important festivals. The main purpose is to celebrate the arrival of spring (vernal equinox) and to pray for a smooth harvest of grains. It is related to creation, rebirth, hope, and joy, and its status is second only to Diwali. The date of the annual celebration is calculated using the Indian calendar, usually held in the middle of February to March of the AD calendar . 5th. The length of the celebration varies from 3 to 16 days, depending on the local customs.
In the ” Holi Festival “, people spray and apply colorful natural powders and liquids to each other in the streets and alleys. It can be called the most colorful festival in the world. Indian people, men, women and children, participated in the event, smearing colored powder on other people’s foreheads to wish each other “Happy Holi!” Water balloons or water cannons shoot everyone you meet. The more colors people have on their bodies, the better, which symbolizes good luck in getting rich in the coming year, and also means popularity and popularity. Everyone can play and be merry to their heart’s content, and even make fun of others, forgetting class differences temporarily during the ” Holi Festival “, and people of lower castes can also sprinkle color powder and paint on people of higher castes. The act of spraying or smearing color powder, including blessing and love, embraces each other, dances to celebrate, celebrates the end of winter, and welcomes the arrival of spring when everything is revived.
There are many theories about the origin of ” Holi “, one of the most widely accepted one is that ” Holi ” originated from the famous Indian epic “Mahabharata”. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a king Hiranyakashipu who was blessed with immortality by Brahmā (Great Brahma ). The tyrant Hiranyakashipu forbids his subjects to mention the god Vishnu , and can only worship him alone, otherwise he will be severely punished. Prince Prahlada is a faithful follower of the god Vishnu. The prince expressed dissatisfaction with his father’s domineering, insisted on worshipping the great god, and was supported by the people. The tyrant, Hiranyakashipu, held a grudge against the prince. He ordered the prince to be pushed off a cliff and an elephant to trample the prince to death, all of which were unsuccessful. The sister of the tyrant Hiranyakashipu, “Holika”, was blessed by Brahmā, the creator god , and received a cloak that can protect people from harm in the fire. The tyrant Hiranyakashipu ordered Holika to pick up the prince on a full moon night and jump into the roaring fire in an attempt to burn Prince Prahlada to death. Holika doesn’t know the power of the cape, it only works when Holika walks into the fire alone. Prince Prahlada chanted the name of God reverently, and the great god Vishnu came to the rescue, blowing off Holika’s cloak with a strong wind and blowing away the flames on Prince Prahlada’s body. The prince survived unscathed, but Holika died in the fire. In the early morning of the next day, the people of the country rushed to save the people, but found that the prince was safe and sound, and Holika had been turned to ashes. People poured seven colors of water on the prince to celebrate. Vishnu appeared and executed the golden bed.
The ” Holi” in the English Holi Festival of “Holi Festival ” is derived from the name of the banshee “Holika”. On the night of the full moon on the eve of Holi, a Hindu religious ceremony must be performed: “The fire burns the demon Holika Dahanam (Holika Dahanam)”. People sing and dance around the fire, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The “Fire to Kill the Demon Holika Dahanam” ceremony is carried out in two parts, including the preparation of festive New Year’s cakes and food at home, and the ceremony of burning the Holika statue outdoors. People dig fire trenches in open spaces such as parks and temples , collect wood or combustibles for firewood, and place a banshee Holika made of grass, wood or paper on the top of the firewood, reproducing the mythical story of Holika’s attempt in the fire. The scene of burning Prahlada, and even throwing cow dung into the fire, shouting insults at him, symbolizes the burning of Holika, who helped the tyrant. Parts of northern India, Nepal and southern India still adhere to the traditional ritual of “killing the demon Holika Dahanam by fire”.
The second day of Holi is the day when people splash and smear each other with various paints and water . The coloured powder used in the traditional Holi festival , called kolam, is made of flowers with bright red or dark orange petals, collected from the forest and then spread to dry, dried and pressed into fine pieces. The powder, when added with water, makes a beautiful saffron dye. In addition, Indians drink a milky drink during Holi, which is said to keep them safe and healthy in the coming year . Other ways of celebrating vary according to local customs. In Nepal, the week-long celebration begins with a ceremony of erecting a bamboo pole, where people throw pink powder and water polo at each other; on the eighth day, the bamboo poles are burned to end the festival. In Mathurā, in Uttar Pradesh, in addition to spraying color powder, women chase and beat men with wooden sticks, and men cannot fight back; in Rajasthan, western India, people wear clothes After soaking, it is twisted into a rope and used to beat people; in the holy city of Varanasi in northern India, people will sprinkle water on each other, march in groups, and swear loudly. Celebrations in rural areas are more lively, sometimes lasting more than a month; in places like Bihar (northeastern India), people sing praises of spring, throw mud and cow dung at each other. Today, ” Holi Festival ” has become a festival for people to eliminate misunderstandings and resentments, to abandon old hatreds and return to good.
” Holi ” moved outward with modern Indian immigrants, and gradually brought the festival overseas, spreading widely in parts of Europe and North America as a celebration of spring colors associated with playfulness and love, bringing a completely different aspect to everyday life. experience. In addition, the Festival of Colors, which extends from the ” Holi Festival “, has become an international event. Every year, different cities are held in different cities with edited videos and music to make the joyful atmosphere more fascinating.