Holi

Holi is a Hindu spring festival, also known as the festival of colours or the festival of sharing love and rejoice the victory of good over evil. It symbolizes unity and brotherhood. Holi brings people from all classes and background together thus removing signs of inequality. It is a two-day festival which starts on the Purnima (Full Moon day) falling in the Bikram Sambat Hindu Calendar month of Falgun, which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar.

Holi is celebrated by throwing colors on each others and taking blessing from elders.

Legend has it that Holika, the sister of demon King Hiranyakashyap, attempted to help her brother take his young son Prahlad’s life. Holika had been blessed such that she could not be harmed by fire. So, she lures Prahlad on to her lap and enters a huge bonfire. However, Prahlad who was a devotee of Naarayan breaks this spell by reciting his lord’s name and comes out of the fire unscathed, while Holika burns to death. The name Holi comes from Holika.

Source: wikipedia.org

In 2024 Holi in USA falls on March 23.