Why do we celebrate Holi?

With the month of Falgun is nearing, Indians all around the world wait desperately to embrace the traditions of Holi. To celebrate Holi with family and closed ones or organise your own big celebration and invite people is the spirit of this festival. Celebrations extend from celebrating it with an intimate get together with a round of card games to a massive fun party, many people have forgotten what it is like to celebrate this grand festival.

Now before you ask "why do we celebrate Holi" again, here is a quick recap:

Holi is not only a festival that you will simply forget, but it is very close to each Indians' soul as it is related to the true colour of love, compassion, brotherhood and benevolence. Holi is the festival that teaches that no matter how much the difference is, it is love that finally emerges victorious. When people make a splash of beautiful colours on each-other and offering sweets speak, "Bura na Mano Bhaiya Holi hai", i.e. "Don't mind, buddy, Let's celebrate Holi".

And why not, after all, Holi is the festival where you forget your problems and misunderstandings and hug each other. It is a new start with a new spring of your life.

Historical background of Holi

Holi has a great & long historical value in the Indian culture. A famous legend about Holi is that it is being celebrated on Bhakt Prahalad's winning (a devotee of Lord Vishnu) on his aunt, the demon 'Holika'.

It is said that Holika tried to kill her nephew Prahalad on request of her brother, the father of Bhakt Prahalad. After many unsuccessful cunning efforts to kill Bhakt Prahalad, finally, she sat on fire taking the little Prahalad on her lap. The brother-sister duo intended to kill him by burning him on fire. The interesting thing was that Holika was gifted with the boon not to be burned by fire. But as always happened, the good got its eternal victory over the evil. As a result, the Lord saved his intimate devotee Prahalad who survived without even a bit of harm and Holika got burned in the same fire.

Holi festival takes various forms in the different parts of India. In different regions of the country, people play it with the same spirit and love, but their celebrations are varied. The Holi celebrations are most famous in Mumbai and Barsana, the Shri Radha Ji village, the lover Integral part of Lord Krishna.

Mumbai Holi celebrations

In Mumbai the Holi is played on the streets where people hang an earthen-pot on a higher place with the help of strings amid the road, filling it with milk or colour then many groups try their best to break it. And the winner gets the massive applause of the people.

Barsana Holi celebrations

In Barsana 'Latthmaar Holi' is played. Women cover their face with a long veil of their saree and hit the men on their back. They do this by holding and swinging a long stick at the menfolk while they protect themselves with shields. It is hugely famous in north India.

Other Holi celebrations

Before you ask " why do we celebrate Holi festival" again, here are additional representations of the celebration.

Like Mumbai and Barsana there are other states like Kerala, West Bengal, Gujarat, Orissa, Manipur, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kashmir and Delhi who have their own Holi celebrations. Sure, the ways are different, but the reason is one as their soul is one. The Holi is the beginning of a new Hindi year, and so it is a welcoming fiesta for starting life with the excellent & vibrating colours.

Gift Ideas for Holi

With such a pious occasion at hand, you will be expected to make many celebratory offerings. Like any other festival, Holi celebrations are dull without the exchange of gifts. So, what can you gift to your friends and family?

You can be as creative as you wish to be. here are some of the gift ideas that you can consider this Holi:

May you have a happy Holi with these alluring gifting ideas this year!