Holi is here, but what is Holi and how did it start?

It is spring, and I got in my car with a plain white t-shirt and colorful powder in my hands. I am going to a park with all my family in NC. When I got there, I met my cousins and hugged them. It is Holi!

Holi is one of my favorite Nepali / Hindu traditions. You throw colorful powders in the air and to your family and friends. You watch cultural dances, listen to great music and eat traditional food. Though you don't have to, many people wear white shirts so all the different colors pop. Holi is also called the festival of colors because of - well you probably know why. Though it's about colors and food, it's also about family, friends, and communities getting together to celebrate. Holi marks the commencement of spring and new life.

There are a lot of opinions about what Holi is and why we celebrate it. I have heard two stories:

A long time ago, they were a king. His name was king Hiranyakashipu. He wanted power and to become immortal, but he was furious when he found out his son Prahaladha, was loyal to lord Vishnu and not him. In an attempt to kill his son, he made him get on a mat that can’t catch on fire along with his sister, Holika, who like the mat was immune to fire. Holika held Prahaladha tight in the fire. To everyone’s amazement, Prahaladha came out of the fire untouched, while Holika burned into ashes. Today, Holi usually starts or ends with a big bonfire in honor of Holika and her sacrifice for good over evil.

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Lord Krishna who drank poisonous milk from a she-demon. The milk turned his skin blue. He thought the girls in his village, especially Radha with fair skin, wouldn’t like him because of his blue skin, which made him anxious. Finally, his mother got an idea. She gave him colorful powder to put on Radha. As his mother said, he put multiple colors on her, and Radha did it back. Now they looked equal (equally messy). They became a couple and later got married.

Today, you throw colors on people and in the air to celebrate the equality and love.

Fun Facts

• Holi is named after Holika, the sister of the demon King Hiranyakashyap.

• The colors symbolize equality. The colors act as a great difference, making everyone equal (or equally messy) no matter their culture or religion.

• It is celebrated on the full moon day in March. Some people define HOLI as the "Hope Of Life Initiative".

Now that you finished reading my blog and watched my video which shows an example of what I said above, I hope it brought a smile to your face. Now, go get messy!

"The colorful, bright powder flying in the air, Holi is here with happiness and joy that covered me, head to toe" - By Gia Rani Shrestha