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The Celebration of Holi
The celebration of Holi has different aspects. It is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, a carnival of colors, a community festival, and a tradition of ancient spring rites. Though the grand finale takes place on the full moon day of Phalguna, the play stretches for about a week or so, especially in North of India. However, in the rest of India, the main functions start in the afternoon before the final day.
The celebration of Holi has different aspects. It is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, a carnival of colors, a community festival, and a tradition of ancient spring rites. Though the grand finale takes place on the full moon day of Phalguna, the play stretches for about a week or so, especially in North of India. However, in the rest of India, the main functions start in the afternoon before the final day.
The Evening of Bonfires
The day before the full moon day of the Holi is called as the Small Holi. Children lit up bonfires and sing and dance around it. The evil spirit, symbolized by all those dead leaves, twigs, dirt and filth that collects during the winter months, is thrown up in the fire. Quite a spring cleaning indeed! People sometimes take embers from the fire to their homes to rekindle their own domestic fires. In some community, a pot of new barley seeds is placed for roasting under the pyre before the bonfire is lit up. These seeds are eaten after the fire dies down. The yields in the coming harvest season are predicted by reading the direction of the flames or by the state of the roasted seeds in the pot. The ashes from the Holi fire are also believed to provide protection against diseases. It is something similar to the ancient rites of burning Maypole in the West part of the globe. Celebration with colours
The main event of Holi is indeed a carnival of colors. On this day, children, friends and neighbors come out on the streets. And the spree to color-anyone-you-see takes over. Colors of all form and variety. They come in shades of red, orange, blue, green,and purple, and the likes. And they are available in oil, water or powder base.Colored powder, or, gulal was earlier made out of Dried seeds of some tropical flowers like the Palash, and dried silt from the riverbed. This has now given way to synthetic dyes, available in the form of pigments. For a glittering effect, fine dust of Mica are also mixed with the powdered dye. People throw these colored powders in the air as they shout “Holi Hai!, and smear each other with this colored powder. Also they wet each other with colored water from Pitchkaris. Colored water is prepared by mixing the pigments of synthetic dyes. These days are available in a range of shades. It is a community festival that bridges the social gap. People color each other with gulal and other form of dyes. Young men throw coloured powder and coloured water on women. They also visit homes, distribute sweets and greet each other. Men, women, adult and children all take part in dances and other cultural programs. Holi is also synonymous with bhang, which is consumed by many in the form of laddoos and ghols. One could get away with almost anything on this day; squirting coloured water on passers-by and dunking friends in the mud pool saying “bura na mano, Holi hai” (don’t feel offended, it’s Holi)
Apart from this usual fun with coloured powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality.
The day before the full moon day of the Holi is called as the Small Holi. Children lit up bonfires and sing and dance around it. The evil spirit, symbolized by all those dead leaves, twigs, dirt and filth that collects during the winter months, is thrown up in the fire. Quite a spring cleaning indeed! People sometimes take embers from the fire to their homes to rekindle their own domestic fires. In some community, a pot of new barley seeds is placed for roasting under the pyre before the bonfire is lit up. These seeds are eaten after the fire dies down. The yields in the coming harvest season are predicted by reading the direction of the flames or by the state of the roasted seeds in the pot. The ashes from the Holi fire are also believed to provide protection against diseases. It is something similar to the ancient rites of burning Maypole in the West part of the globe. Celebration with colours
The main event of Holi is indeed a carnival of colors. On this day, children, friends and neighbors come out on the streets. And the spree to color-anyone-you-see takes over. Colors of all form and variety. They come in shades of red, orange, blue, green,and purple, and the likes. And they are available in oil, water or powder base.Colored powder, or, gulal was earlier made out of Dried seeds of some tropical flowers like the Palash, and dried silt from the riverbed. This has now given way to synthetic dyes, available in the form of pigments. For a glittering effect, fine dust of Mica are also mixed with the powdered dye. People throw these colored powders in the air as they shout “Holi Hai!, and smear each other with this colored powder. Also they wet each other with colored water from Pitchkaris. Colored water is prepared by mixing the pigments of synthetic dyes. These days are available in a range of shades. It is a community festival that bridges the social gap. People color each other with gulal and other form of dyes. Young men throw coloured powder and coloured water on women. They also visit homes, distribute sweets and greet each other. Men, women, adult and children all take part in dances and other cultural programs. Holi is also synonymous with bhang, which is consumed by many in the form of laddoos and ghols. One could get away with almost anything on this day; squirting coloured water on passers-by and dunking friends in the mud pool saying “bura na mano, Holi hai” (don’t feel offended, it’s Holi)
Apart from this usual fun with coloured powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality.