This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Exeter chapter.
Back home in Mumbai, Holi-Day was my favourite holiday (see what I did there?) Holi is one of the most colourful and vibrant festivals there is, which is why it is also called the festival of colours. It also marks the beginning of spring. Over the years, Holi celebrations have spread to several countries, including the UK. So what is Holi? Well, think Colour Run but with no running involved. Basically, a win win situation for us lazy people.
Although it seems like simply a festival where people throw colours at one another, Holi actually has a lot of historic and significance in India. Bonfires are lit the night before Holi in order to symbolise the victory of good over evil. It all goes back to the legend of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyap. Hiranyakashyap was a powerful and evil King who believed himself to be a God. However his son, Prahlad, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. This greatly irked Hiranyakshyap and he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap, as she had a boon to enter fire unscathed. Holika tricked Prahlad into entering the fire with her but since she was using her powers to fulfil this sinister desire, her plan failed and Prahlad emerged from the fire unharmed, while Holika was devoured by the flames. The tradition of burning Holika comes mainly from this legend.
The following day is when it gets all colourful. It is believed that this festival originates from the Hindu god, Lord Krishna, who was extremely mischievous as a young boy and threw coloured water over his beloved Radha and her friends, which is why Holi is also often referred to as the festival of love. People celebrate their love on Holi by throwing colours and water on each other.
Make no mistake – Holi is not just for kids. Trust me, every year I thought I was too old for it but that I always ended up returning home with every possible colour on my face. Holi is considered to be a festival for everyone – it does not matter how old you are, what your beliefs are, etc. It is a day when everyone comes out to have a good time and go slightly wild with the colours. In Mumbai, every single shop is shut on Holi day because once you take the risk to step outside, there’s no guaranteeing that you’ll return home without any colour being thrown on you. A common saying heard during Holi is ‘bura na mano, Holi hai’ (which means ‘don’t be offended, it’s Holi’).
The only downside to Holi is the shower that follows; I need to wash my hair about three times and there is different coloured foam every time I rinse it. Although, to be quite honest, the post-Holi shower is quite relaxing and the nap that follows is heavenly. Plus, it’s all worth it considering the amount of fun you can have playing Holi.
If this article has tempted you enough to celebrate Holi yourself, you’re in luck. The Asian Society has organised Holi celebrations on the 13th of March at the Ram Garden and it includes colours, Indian snacks and a DJ to play all the big tunes!
Here’s the link to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/992695340786894/.