What is Holi? Holi is a holiday characterized by joy, color, and the celebration of new beginnings. This year, Holi will take place on March 24, bringing with it a spirit of unity and excitement.
Where is Holi Celebrated?
The ancient festival of Holi is a Hindu tradition celebrated all across India to celebrate the coming of Springtime each year in March. Despite having its roots in Hinduism, the festival brings together those of all backgrounds. Holi is a day for fun and playfulness, above all. The Festival of Colors, as it is often called, began in India thousands of years ago in the 4th century, but it has since been celebrated across the globe. The celebrations are lively and community-oriented no matter where they take place.
How do you celebrate Holi?
During Holika Dahan, the first night of the two-day festival, a great bonfire is lit, symbolically burning away all of the bad from the year before. Each year, this tradition occurs on Purnima, the day of the full moon. Then, the following day, known as Dhuleti, color erupts everywhere.
The tradition of throwing colored powders and water on one another has been said to originate with the story of the Hindu god Krishna and the milkmaid Radha. The story goes that Krishna fell in love with Radha but was embarrassed by his blue skin, as she was fair-skinned and beautiful. During a game, he covered her face with colored powders in a playful attempt to make the two of them more alike. This love story is remembered through the enduringly colorful traditions of Holi, and the blue powder itself is said to honor Krishna, the god of love, compassion, and protection. Red and green represent fertility and new beginnings, respectively.
Holi is a time for reflection, as people come together to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and look to the future with hope and excitement. Perhaps more importantly, however, it is a time for fun: dancing, playing colors, eating, and, in some regions, exchanging sweets with loved ones.
Why do we celebrate Holi?
Our US team and India team were able to celebrate Holi together last year and loved to share these traditions as a group. At Miracle Foundation, we believe in collaboration, and these traditions are one way to come together and celebrate the cultures that make up our team. Holi is a time for reflection and looking towards the future with hope and excitement. These core pieces of the holiday are important to Miracle Foundation and our vision of a family for every child as we continue to evaluate and work towards achieving this in our lifetime. We believe in looking to the future with hope, and we also believe in working hard to create a better future for ourselves and the generations that come after us. Learn more about our work and how we are making an impact.
