Holi 2022: When is it celebrated and what is the festivity about?
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Loading... - Kumari Nath
- 16 Mar 2022
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Millions of Hindus around the world are preparing to celebrate Holi, also known as the festival of colours.
The festival marks the beginning of the spring season in the Indian subcontinent.
Here is what we know about the celebrations this year:
When is Holi celebrated?
Holi is celebrated in Phagun, the 12th month of the Hindu calendar, which corresponds to February or March in the Gregorian calendar. This year, the festival will be celebrated on March 18, though the festivities tend to run longer in some places.
With a significant fall in COVID cases after two years of battling the coronavirus in India, millions of people are getting ready to celebrate after last year’s muted festivities.
What’s the story behind Holi?
Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil and there are various stories about its origin.
The most popular legend in Hindu mythology says the festival marks Lord Vishnu’s triumph over King Hiranyakashyapu, who killed anyone who disobeyed him or worshipped other gods.
The king had a son called Prahlad who never worshipped his father and worshipped Vishnu instead. Hiranyakashyapu was so displeased that he conspired with his sister Holika to kill his son.
Holika agreed to kill her nephew, luring Prahlad into a pyre and trying to burn him. However, Vishnu came to Prahlad’s rescue and Holika ended up burning in the pyre.
To this day, Hindu devotees celebrate Holika Dahan on the eve of Holi to mark the event by making bonfires in their neighbourhoods.
How long does Holi last?
The celebration of Holi usually lasts for two days, with Holika Dahan and a day of throwing colours on each other being its highlights.
On the day of Holi, people of all ages take to the streets to smear each other with dry or wet paint and get showered in powdered colour and water. There is a lot of dancing and singing.
“People even stand on their rooftops to throw water balloons on random people walking on the streets,” Sashreek Garg, who comes from Una in India’s northern Himachal Pradesh state, told Al Jazeera.
“It’s my favourite festival. It binds people, cultures and even strangers together. Now that I am away from home I miss that feeling of coming together,” said Garg, who is currently a university student in Qatar. Read More…
