Holi 2018: Why Is it Celebrated, and Other Questions You Might Have

India’s festival of colors – Holi – is less than a month away, and here are some reasons to attend…

If you don’t know what the Holi Festival is, or why it is celebrated, then you have come to right place. Before we go on to answer all the questions you may have, let us tell you that it is one of the most magical holidays in India, and we are sure Holi 2018 is going to be absolutely unforgettable!

Scroll down to learn all about one of India’s most important festivities!

Why is Holi celebrated?

The festival of colors celebrates the victory of good over evil, celebrating the burning and the destruction of the mystical demoness, Holika. How? Hindu belive that this victory of what’s good was brought by abiding devotion to the Hingu God of preservation, Vishnu.

Photo © Getty

Holi Festival also marks the end of the Winter season, and the abundance that is to come with the Spring and the harvest seasons.

When is Holi celebrated?

Holi is celebrated every year in March, usually the day after the first full moon of the month. However, many villages and several parts of India start their celebration rituals as early as a week before!

Photo © Getty

If you are planning on visiting India for the Holi Festival, take note that some cities and villages take Holi more seriously than others, and cities like Mathura and Vrindavan, close to Delhi, host some of the biggest Holi celebrations of the whole country!

Holi 2018 will begin on the 1st of March, and it will last for 24 full hours, until the 2nd!

Why do we call it the ‘Festival of Colors’?

Holi got its most commom name, Festival of Colors, from another Hindu god, Krishna! The story goes that Krishna used to play pranks on the village girls by drenching them in water and thousands of colors.

Powdered colors. Photo © Getty

How will Holi 2018 be celebrated?

Every year, the Festival of Colors is celebrated in the same cheerful way. The day after the fool moon, both adults and children go out on the streets to smear each other with colored powder, throwing colored water, having parties on their streets, and even dancing under water sprinklers! Bhang, a type of paste made from cannabis plants, is also very traditional of Holi, and it’s not unusual to see people eating it and sharing it during the festivities.

Big cities such as Delhi and Mumbai usually organize their own Holi parties, with lots of music, rain dances and, of course, lots and lots of colors.

By the time the sun has set, people will gather to make large bonfires, dancing around them and walking around them three times, marking the occasion and the burning of the demoness Holika.

As for real religious rituals, you will most likely not find any. Holi is usually known for being just a great day to celebrate life and have fun!

What can you expect from it?

If by now you’re sold on the idea of attending Holi 2018 – and who wouldn’t be? – you can expect to find a very carefree festival. There will most likely be lots of water and dirt, as well as saturated colors on your skin that might not come off so easily (remember to use old clothes!).

However, make sure to attend the festival in large groups of friends. Usually social norms and regulations are overlooked during Holi Festival, which means, better safe than sorry… Enjoy Holi 2018 the most by going out early in the morning and being back in your hotel by midday, for example.

You will also find that many hotels host their own Holi private parties, which means the fun never stops!

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