Post submitted by Ella, one of our Student Experience Ambassadors
Holi is a religious Hindu festival in India that marks the end of winter and celebrates spring, love, and new life. It also honours the triumph of good over evil. The day is marked by the last full moon of the Hindu month of Phalguna.
On the eve of Holi, people light bonfires in a ritual called Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi to bid farewell to winter and to symbolise the burning of negativity and evil. They then gather at temples to sing and dance to music. Families spend time preparing gujiya, which is a cardamom flavoured sweet that resembles a dumpling, filled with dried fruits and nuts.
Known as the festival of colours, on the day of Holi people throw coloured water and powders, called gulal, on one another to celebrate. On this day, everyone is fair game, and everyone is covered in colour! Each colour has a special symbolism: red for love, blue for the Hindu god Krishna, and green for new beginnings. Holi is also often described as a ‘festival of love’, since all members of the community come together regardless of their societal rankings or their resentments.