Holi on Monday, March 25, 2024
Holika Dahan on Sunday, March 24, 2024
Purnima Tithi Begins - 12:24 AM on Mar 24, 2024
Purnima Tithi Ends - 02:59 AM on Mar 25, 2024
About Holi:
The Holi festival in India holds deep Hindu spiritual significance and imparts valuable life lessons. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm during the spring season as a festival of colors and love, symbolizing the emotions of the mind. Like other festivals in India, Holi emphasizes the triumph of good over evil and ignorance. As winter ends, Holi ushers in the fragrance of flowers, creating an atmosphere of warmth and joy.
Holi's celebration fosters a delightful mood among people of all ages. Smearing each other with vibrant colors and enjoying delicious Gujiyas, this festival spreads cheer and happiness. For centuries, Holi has been a unifying force, bringing together people of all backgrounds, ages, and generations. While Holi has its origins in Hinduism dating back thousands of years, its joyful spirit goes beyond religious boundaries. Holi is more than just a riot of colors; it's a chance to embrace a spirit of renewal.
Forgiveness: The Foundation
Holi encourages an essential life practice: forgiveness. It's about letting go of grudges and fostering peace and harmony, not just during the festival but throughout the year. Every joyous gathering during Holi reinforces this positive energy, creating a natural cleansing for the mind. People apply tilak, a mark of acceptance, to each other's foreheads, bridging divides of age and gender.
A Celebration of Life and Gratitude
Holi is a time to cherish moments with loved ones and express gratitude. The vibrant colors symbolize spreading joy and giving thanks for a good harvest. This festive spirit creates a wave of positive energy that uplifts everyone.
Open to All
While Holi has its origins in Hinduism dating back thousands of years, its joyful spirit goes beyond religious boundaries. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to join in the celebrations. The festival is widely embraced by open-minded individuals (except a few communities with orthodox mindsets) of various religions, and its popularity is growing outside India, including in the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere.
The Festivities Begin
Holi celebrations kick off with Holika Dahan, a bonfire lit the night before. This fire symbolizes the burning away of inner negativity. According to Hindu scriptures, Holika, a demon queen, was consumed by flames. The fire represents destroying the evil within us, even the parts we might not be aware of.
A Day of Color and Revelry
The next morning, the streets erupt in a vibrant explosion of color. People playfully smear colored powder on each other, throw colorful water balloons, and use water guns to create a joyous, messy celebration. It's a day filled with laughter, music, and the carefree spirit of Holi.
Essence of Holi : The essence of Holi lies in the unity of humanity, conveying a message of oneness. The colors symbolize the spectrum of emotions we experience: red for anger, green for envy, yellow for joy, white for peace, and pink for love. Just as Holi throws a dazzling array of colors, our inner world is a kaleidoscope of ever-changing feelings.
The true spirit of Holi lies in embracing all these emotions with clarity. By understanding and acknowledging our feelings, we can achieve inner harmony, just like the peaceful coexistence of colors during the festival. Life, like Holi, should be vibrant and colorful, but with each color distinct. When we can manage our emotions with wisdom, they become a source of richness, not conflict.
Holi reminds us that we all play multiple roles in life – parent, child, sibling, friend. When these roles blur, misunderstandings can arise. Yet, Holi's joyous energy emphasizes the importance of embracing each role fully. By approaching life's situations with knowledge and emotional awareness, we can create a life filled with peace and harmony, mirroring the spirit of Holi.
Legends of Holi: Hiranyakashyap was the king of demonic Asuras who, according to the Bhagavata Purana, received a boon from Lord Shiva that rendered him indestructible by neither man nor beast. With this newfound power, he unleashed his demonic nature, demanding worship as the supreme deity and punishing those who disagreed. Prahlada, his son, remained steadfast in his devotion to Bhagwan Vishnu, defying his father's commands. Enraged, Hiranyakashyap attempted various ways to kill Prahlada, all of which failed. He then enlisted his demon sister Holika's help, who possessed a divine cloak that was supposed to protect her from fire. In a twist of fate, the cloak flew off her body and protected Prahlada instead, leading to Holika's demise. Ultimately, Bhagwan Vishnu's avatar Narasimha, a half-man, half-lion, emerged from a pillar to slay Hiranyakashyap, marking the beginning of Holi with Holika Dahan symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
Holi, the festival commemorates the timeless love between Bhagwan Krishn and Radha. Their playful gestures inspired the tradition of applying colors to one another during Holi, symbolizing love and fondness.
Holi is celebrated by applying colors to the deities of Radha and Krishna. The festival coincides with the last full moon of the year, followed by the Hindu New Year. It is customary to burn old items at home before the last full moon and then play Holi with colors. Holi is about bringing people of all ages together in celebration and unity.
Video explaining Holi Festival, must watch.
Wishing you all a very Happy Holi, Shubh Holi from Hindu Canadian Foundation.