Holi

Holi is associated with the full-moon day of Phalguna, a month that falls in February or March in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed in India and Nepal and among South Asian communities in other countries. In many places it is a multi-part celebration, with a bonfire on the eve followed by the better-known festivities with coloured powders and water. Local calendars and regional customs shape when and how particular communities observe it.

In many North Indian traditions, Holi begins with Holika Dahan, a bonfire lit on the preceding evening. One widely told account links it to Prahlada, a devotee of Vishnu, and his aunt Holika: the story presents Prahlada's survival and Holika's death in the fire as a triumph of devotion and good over evil. On the following day, people in many communities play with coloured powders and water. These practices are familiar symbols of Holi, but not every region celebrates in the same way.

Holi is associated with more than one religious story, and no single account explains every community's observance. In a story connected with Krishna and Radha, Krishna playfully applies colour to Radha; the narrative is linked to the practice of throwing colour and to themes of affection and play. The Prahlada and Holika story is particularly associated with the preceding bonfire. Other regional traditions connect the festival with different figures and episodes, so the emphasis placed on each narrative varies.

Holi is not a uniform set of rituals. Britannica describes, for example, Lathmar Holi in Barsana, Uttar Pradesh, where celebrants enact a playful exchange involving staves and shields; Dolayatra in parts of eastern India, where images of Radha and Krishna are placed on swings; and observances in parts of South India associated with the story of Shiva and Kama. These are examples rather than a complete list: the festival's names, length, stories, foods and activities vary from place to place.

Holi is celebrated both in South Asia and in diaspora communities, where public events may combine religious observance with music, dance, food and the playful use of colour. Cultural institutions and community organizations also hold Holi programmes for wider audiences. Such events can make the festival a shared public celebration, while its religious meanings and local customs remain important to many participants. Describing Holi as a single, identical celebration would overlook this diversity.