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Holi Festival Mystery | Music Video | Mira, Royal Detective | @disneyjr

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https://www.getepic.com/app/read/54968

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It’s OK to get a little messy while celebrating this holiday in India.

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Holi
होली

Observed by

Predominantly Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Newar Buddhists, and others

Type

Religious, cultural, spring festival

Celebrations

Night before: Holika Dahan, Kama Dahan
On Holi: spraying colored dye, playing with colored powder, dancing, greetings, festival delicacies

Date

per Hindu calendar

2022 date

18 March

Frequency

Annual

Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the "Festival of Love", the "Festival of Colours", and the "Festival of Spring". The festival celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha and Krishna. It also signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it celebrates the victory of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha Narayana over Hiranyakashipu. It originated and is predominantly celebrated in Nepal & India but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the diaspora from the Indian subcontinent.

Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love and for many, it is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. The festival also celebrates the beginning of a good spring harvest season. It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon Day) falling in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. The first evening is known as Holika Dahan (burning of Demon Holika) or Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dol Purnima, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, Ukuli, Manjal Kuli, Yaosang, Shigmo or Phagwah, Jajiri.

Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival that has become popular among non-Hindus as well in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia. In addition to India and Nepal, the festival is celebrated by Indian subcontinent diaspora in countries such as Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In recent years, the festival has spread to parts of Europe and North America as a spring celebration of love, frolic, and colours.

Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform religious rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi (Dhuleti) - a free-for-all festival of colours, where people smear each other with colours and drench each other. Water guns and water-filled balloons are also used to play and colour each other. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children, and elders. The frolic and fight with colours occurs in the open streets, parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and other musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People visit family, friends and foes come together to throw coloured powders on each other, laugh and gossip, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks. In the evening, people dress up and visit friends and family.

Images for kids

In the Braj region of North India, women have the option to playfully hit men who save themselves with shields; for the day, men are culturally expected to accept whatever women dish out to them. This ritual is called Lath Mar Holi.

Drummers of Indo-Caribbean community celebrating Phagwah (Holi) in New York City, 2013.

In Spanish: Holi para niños

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Download FREE resources to teach children about 'Holi'

Wiki Contents

Click on these subheadings to take you to a specific part of this teaching wiki:

What is Holi?

Also known as the Festival of Colors, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love, is a celebration during which people famously throw colorful powder and water at one another!

Who celebrates Holi?

Holi is primarily a Hindu festival, celebrated by followers of the Hindu religion. However, people from all kinds of backgrounds and religions around the world are encouraged to have fun and take part in the Holi celebrations!

Where is Holi celebrated?

Although now a worldwide celebration, Holi is mostly acknowledged in countries in Asia, such as India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

What happens during the Holi festival?

The Holi festival takes place over one night and the following day. In the days before the festival begins, people will stock up on supplies, such as food, drinks, pigments, and wood to create an effigy for the bonfire.

The first night is known as Holika Dahan and takes place on the first full moon (Purnima) of Phalguna in the Hindu calendar, which roughly translates to February/March in the Gregorian calendar. This is when people light a bonfire, dance, sing, perform rituals, and burn an effigy.

The next morning is known as Rangwali Holi, or simply as Holi, and is the most famous part of the festival. Throughout the day, street carnivals are held where people celebrate, dance, and throw colorful powder (called ) and water at one another! In the evening, they dress up and visit family and friends to share meals and celebrate together.

What is the significance of Holi?

The Holi festival has many meanings attached to it. It signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the blossoming of love, a celebration of friends and family, the triumph of good over evil, and the chance to make amends and repair broken relationships.

Holi Traditions

Though primarily a festival of fun and celebration, there are several traditions related to Holi:

The lighting of the Holika - the night before Holi, people gather together wood to create an effigy of the demoness, Holika. Some people perform cleansing rituals, while others dance and sing around the bonfire.

Gulal - colorful powder made from natural, plant-based ingredients that is thrown on people, or mixed with water.

Sweets - many foods and sweets are eaten during Holi, especially malpuas, gujiya, and mathri. After the tossing of gulal, many people visit friends and family to exchange sweets and share meals.

Rangoli - though not a Holi-specific tradition, many people will create patterns in front of their homes to welcome the goddess into their homes and bless its residents with wealth and good fortune.

The Story of Holi

Two main stories are celebrated during the festival of lights: the story of Prahlāda and Holika, and the story of Radha Krishna.

Prahlāda and Holika

The first story of Holi is the legend of Prahlāda and Holika. It is part of a series of myths rooted in Hindu mythology and is the main reason why Holi is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.

The wise and virtuous Prahlāda was the son of a demon king named Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu was a wicked king whose greatest desire was to be worshipped and adored by everyone. However, his son Prahlāda - who had taken on the teachings of by the divine sage while he was still in the womb - was a devout follower of Vishnu and would not relinquish his devotion and worship his father instead. Hiranyakashipu was so enraged at his son's betrayal that he began to view Vishnu, and by association Prahlāda, as an enemy. He tried several times to kill his own son, but each time Vishnu stepped in and protected Prahlāda using his mystical powers.

During one attempt, Hiranyakashipu called upon the talents of his sister, Holika, to try and end Prahlāda's life once and for all. Holika was an asuri, or demoness, who had been granted a magic shawl that prevented her from being burned by fire. She tried to trick her nephew by asking him to sit on her lap while she sat in a pyre, with the promise that he wouldn't be harmed by the burning flames. The flames suddenly burst forth to kill Prahlāda, and the shawl was thrown from Holika to cover Prahlāda instead! With no shawl to protect her, Holika perished in the very flames she was using to try and kill her nephew. In other versions, Vishnu stepped in to help Prahlāda, or Holika's powers were nullified and turned on her when she used them to try and harm somebody.

Because of his faith in Vishnu, Prahlāda survived this attempt on his life and many others. After Hiranyakashipu's eventual demise, Prahlāda took over his father's role and ruled over his people with kindness and virtue. In the end, because of his faith in Vishnu, the good Prahlāda truly did succeed over the evil that was Hiranyakashipu and Holika.

Radha Krishna

The second story of Holi features Radha Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, and one of the more recognizable deities in Hindu mythology. In his youth, worried that the fair-skinned goddess would not like him because of his dark skin. His foster-mother told Krishna to ask Radha to paint his face any color she wanted. She did so, and the two became a couple. The painting of Krishna's and Radha's faces became known as the first Holi.

The Colors of Holi

Traditionally, the colorful powders that are thrown during Holi, or gulal, are made from natural dyes and ingredients such as kumkum, neem, bilva, and halda. These are medicinal herbs to alleviate the symptoms of fever and cold that come with the changing weather during spring. Other colors can be extracted through plant-based sources, such as:

- palash flowers, madder tree, sandalwood, hibiscus flowers, pomegranate, radish, saffron, and turmeric mixed with lime.

Yellow - turmeric, chickpea, marigold, chrysanthemum, bael fruit, and amaltas.

Green - gulmohur leaves and mehendi.

Blue - grapes, blue hibiscus, jacaranda flowers, indigo plant, and indigo berries.

Black - vegetable charcoal, and gooseberry.

Holi Greetings

How do you greet someone on Holi? Simply saying "Happy Holi!" is enough! However, you may want to mix it up with some of the following:

1. Holi is a day to make amends and honor friendships. I treasure your presence in my life, today and always!

2. Wishing you success and prosperity on Holi!

3. I will shower you with love like all the colors of the rainbow on Holi!

4. Have a vibrant and light-hearted Holi this year!

5. Wishing you a year full of light, laughter, and the playful spirit of Holi!

How to Celebrate Holi with Kids

Are you looking to celebrate Holi for kids this year, or planning celebrations for the next Festival of Colors? Here is a selection of some of our favorite Holi lesson ideas and Holi activities:

Holi Lesson Ideas

Our Holi Words and Pictures PowerPoint and Google Slides resource is a great whole-class activity to introduce your kids to the Holi festival. Brimming with vibrant illustrations about traditions and foods, it is sure to clasp your kids' attention and raise excitement for the upcoming festival!

Holi may be the Festival of Colors, but you don't have to let art class have all the fun! Bring Holi traditions into your math class using our Rangoli Color by Number - Kindergarten Activity. By practicing their number recognition skills, your kids will be able to create their own rangoli pattern!

Coloring pages are the ultimate resource to practice pincer grip and fine motor skills, as well as experiment with color without the rigidity of a project. Download our Holi Coloring Pages and let your kids loose on a variety of coloring pages, featuring food, traditions, and cultural aspects of the Holi festival! Twinkl Tip: laminate these coloring pages and let your kids paint them using dyed water or watercolor paint. They'll have fun with water and color, and you need only wipe them clean to use them again for Holi next year - a great way to embrace the colorful spirit of Holi and remain eco-friendly all at once!

Holi Activities

Create your own Festival of Colors by holding a Holi celebration at school! Ask parents to send their kids into school wearing old clothes, and gather together some eco-friendly colorful powders. After your lessons on Holi have finished, bring your class to a large open space such as a schoolyard or field, and let your kids have fun throwing gulal at their friends and classmates! It'll be a class to remember!

Make colorful tie-dye Holi t-shirts by dying white shirts with fabric dye and soaking them. If you're feeling adventurous, you can experiment with natural colorings such as tea and black beans!

Put on a Holi puppet show. Choose between the story of Prahlāda and Holika and the story of Radha Krishna, and create hand-puppets out of felt and fabric or stick puppets from hand-drawn images and lolly sticks. It will allow your kids to practice their fine motor skills and flex their creativity, and provide great entertainment before the Holi festivities begin!

Glossary

Use our glossary to help your kids navigate unusual or difficult words and terms:

Asuras - A class of demons in Hindu mythology. The female form is "asuri".

Gulal - A type of colorful powder thrown during Holi.

Hindu - The world's third-largest religion, primarily based in India.

Hiranyakashipu - A wicked demon king, and father of Prahlāda.

Holi - A Hindu festival, during which people throw colorful powders and water at one another.

Holika - A powerful demoness, sister of Hiranyakashipu, and aunt of Prahlāda.

Krishna - A major deity in Hinduism; the god of protection, and the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Lakshmi - One of the principal deities in Hinduism.

Narada - A divine sage, or messenger of the gods.

Prahlāda - The son of Hiranyakashipu, and devout follower of Vishnu.

Radha - A major deity in Hinduism; the goddess of love, avatar of Lakshmi, and consort to Krishna.

Rangoli - An art form originating in India. Rangoli patterns are created from powders, flour, sand, and other materials meant to welcome in the goddess Lakshmi and bless the household with wealth and good luck.

Vishnu - One of the principal deities of Hinduism.

Yashoda - The foster-mother of Vishnu.

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Holi for Kids - Festivals and Traditions - Twinkl USA

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Download FREE resources to teach children about 'Holi' Click on these subheadings to take you to a specific part of this teaching wiki: Also known as the Festival of Colors, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love, is a celebration during which people famously throw colorful powder and water at one another!

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What is Holi Festival? - Hindu Festival of Colour - Behind the News

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What is Holi? - Festival of Colors - Holi Facts for Kids

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Holi Festival Of Colour | Planet Earth II | Cities Behind The Scenes

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Holi | Let's Celebrate Holi | Ajanta Chakraborty | Kids | Read Aloud | Story

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Get an Up-Close Look at the Colorful Holi Festival | National Geographic

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Holi | Festival  | Dev and Ollie Colour Carnival | Festival of Colors | Kids | Read Aloud | Story

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Holi Hai! Activities and Lesson Plans for 2023

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Check out these Holi Hai! activities, lesson plans & interactive read aloud ideas to engage your 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade students.

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Add a fresh doze of excitement to the festival with these Ultimate Holi Activities for kids. Includes STEM Activities, Fun Games & Worksheets.

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Learning about different traditions allows students to explore people and their cultures around the world. And it's a cheap way to travel! We collected activities for Holi so you can travel with your students.

Holi is an ancient Hindu festival that originates and is widely celebrated in India. Although different regions of India have their own traditions and variations, they all share one thing, it's so much fun! As people have moved around the world, settling in other countries such as Canada they have brought this celebration with them.

Many non-Hindu people around the world also celebrate Holi. In fact, this tradition has inspired all kinds of different events. It is often used to support all kinds of good causes like children with chronic or life-threatening conditions and is incorporated into many different types of fundraisers.

Some Background on Holi

Holi is a spring festival that is based on the Vikram Samvat calendar. This means it falls sometime in February or March depending on the phases of the moon. Celebrated for two days after a full moon, people across the country and around the world celebrate with many activities for Holi.

This festival is known for the tradition of throwing colourful powder or water. People fill the streets and spray each other while they sing and dance. and everyone is considered equal.

It's more than just for fun. On the first day, people build giant bonfires to remember the importance of good winning over evil and how kindness and forgiveness are powerful.

As with most celebrations, there are stories and legends that explain the origin and reason for the traditions.

Some of these stories are graphic and frankly, a little scary. (Have you ever read the original Little Red Riding Hood story?) How do we deal with this? We choose less gory versions or adapt them a little to make them more appropriate.

Stories and Legends About Holi

There are several stories related to Holi. The variations in stories are influenced by the regions of India they come from. Stories are great activities for Holi and they are interesting too!

The Prince and Holika

The most common story is the one of King Hirnalasyapu, his sister Holika and the Prince because it explains the origin of the festival.

The King was egotistical and wanted everyone in the kingdom to worship him alone and none of the other Hindu gods. He ruled with fear, but his son, Prince Prahlad, gently refused to worship him. This infuriated the King and he devised all kinds of plans to kill his son in revenge to no avail!

Eventually, the King convinced his sister, Holika, to help him. They devised a plan where she would convince the Prince to join her under her magic, fire-proof, colourful cloak in a bonfire.

The Prince agreed.

While they were sitting in the bonfire, her cloak fell away and covered the Prince, saving him. While she burned, she asked for his forgiveness for her ruse. As he was a kind Prince, he forgave her as she died.

He proclaimed the celebration of Holi as a day to remind people to forgive each other.

Shiva, Kamadeva and the Goddess Parvati

In a land far away in Southern India there lived Shiva, Parvati and Kamadeva. The Goddess Parvati was in love with Shiva. She asked the god of love, Kamadeva, to shoot one of his love arrows at Shiva. Kamadeva did so, but Shiva became mad and burned Kamadeva to ashes. Kamadeva's wife begged Shiva to bring her husband back to life. Shiva decided to grant the wish because of their strong love.

So Holi remembers this story and celebrates the act of love and forgiveness.

Krishna and Radha

In a land far away in Northern India there lived the God Krishna. Krishna was famous for his love of mischief and playing tricks. Krishna played tricks on everyone and thought the tricks were very funny. One day he soaked his wife Radha and her friends with coloured water. They retaliated.

People play jokes on each other at this time of year in memory of Krishna, the joker.

This story explains why colourful powder and water is thrown in the air and at each other during this festival.

Krishna The Fair

Krishna loved Radha his wife very much. He worried about Radha having different coloured skin than him (he is often portrayed as blueish). His mother suggested that he rub coloured powder on her face so that she would be colourful too. So he did. And Radha did the same to him.

Explore Activities for Holi

Reading and Writing

Want to explore Holi further with your students? Our reading and writing activities for Holi are designed for students in grades 3-6. It teaches the history and traditions of Holi through the reading of non-fiction texts.

It features the reading strategy 3Ps - Print it, Picture it, Paraphrase it. In this strategy, students write the information directly from the text (word for word notes) and Print it. Using the information they draw a picture that represents what they learned to Picture it. Based on the picture, students rewrite the facts in their own words and Paraphrase it. This strategy helps students learn to take information from books or websites and put them into their own words.

There are multiple versions of the 3Ps to support the different skill levels of your students. Skip doing the work yourself by grabbing Reading and Writing Activities for Holi. Find it in our TpT Store or BN Shop.

Writing Prompts

We created a simple set of writing prompts that can be used to write about the Holi Festival of Colours. Each of the ten days includes three choices to write about, but students do not need any background knowledge for all the prompts. There is always something to write about and they can be done with paper or using Google Slides. Find the writing prompts in our Tpt Store or our BN Shop. To learn more check out this blog post Challenge Your Students with Writing Activities Every Day.

Drama Circles

We use drama circles to teach all kinds of things. Learn more in our post How to Add Some Drama to Your Classroom. One of our favourites is this drama circle about the Holi Festival of Colours. You can find it in our TpT Store or our BN Shop.

Craft Ideas for Holi

Crafts are the perfect activities for Holi because they allow students to explore colour. We have a lesson in our Resource Library or we can send it to you by email. Use these crafts to make a display or bulletin board about Holi.

Are you avoiding these types of activities because of the mess? You should read our post: Are You Avoiding Teaching Art?

Blow Painting

Add drops of paint on a paper and using a straw students blow on the drops of paint so that they splatter.

Snow Painting

Mix water and food colouring in spray bottles. Find a spot outside that has snow that has not been trampled and paint the snow. This one only works in winter climates.

Cornstarch Painting

Create a simple paint using one part cornstarch and one part water. Add a few drops of food colouring and mix well. This paint covers asphalt nicely and dries like brightly coloured chalk. As it's made with food colouring that can stain, we don't recommend it for porous surfaces or skin (it stains).

Elephants of Jaipur

Using an outline of an elephant (best to print on card stock or construction paper) have students decorate an elephant. Using crafting items found easily at your local dollar store such as ribbon, stick-on jewels etc., decorate the elephant to represent the Holi tradition in Jaipur, India of decorating elephants and parading in the streets during festivities.

Pictures of these decorated elephants can be found by searching Jaipur Elephants online.

We have included templates in a copy of this lesson with detailed instructions in our Resource Library or we can send it to you by email when you join our mailing list.

Colour Throwing

Well, maybe it's not quite throwing colour, but it does seem just as messy. Using a drawing of students, splatter paint over the drawings to symbolize the throwing of colour.

Get a copy of this lesson with detailed instructions in our Resource Library or we can send it to you by email when you join our mailing list.

Coffee Filter People

This one is much less messy but takes a day to dry. Give each student a coffee filter which they colour with water-soluble markers. Place the filters flat on a waterproof surface that won't stain (or doesn't matter if it stains). We use a plastic table cloth. Spray the filters lightly with a mist of water. This will cause the marker to bleed. Let them dry.

Students can cut out a figure of a person and add personal details using a pencil (as it doesn't spread or bleed on the filter).

The filters also make for nice decorations around your display, so cut out circles from the leftovers or make a few extras.

Holi Collaborative Poster

We created a collaborative poster that you can use to celebrate with your students. It comes with 18. 24. or 36 pieces. Students colour their own pieces and then they are assembled into a poster. It also comes with follow-up activities to learn more. Find the poster in our TpT Store or BN Shop.

Books About Holi

Although there are fewer books on Holi than other celebrations, we managed to find a selection of picture books and non-fiction books that you can read with your class (even older students like a good picture book -although they won't admit it out loud). You can also use the books to do further research. Books are easy activities for Holi because students can read and even write their own stories.

Stories for Holi

Why Do We Celebrate Holi by Anitha Rathod
Preeti learns the story behind Holi from her grandmother and celebrates the festival with her friends and family. The title is a great jumping-off point for a great discussion with your class. Why do we celebrate __________? What does it mean to have celebrations? You could also have students complete a creative and critical thinking project where they design a celebration.

Non-Fiction Reads for Holi

Looking for More Books?

If you are looking for some books for other holidays and observances, you might be interested in some of our other book lists.

Books for holidays and observances:

These books can be used any time of year:

Do you know about a book we should know about? Please help us expand our library by adding a book title to the comments below.

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Quick and Colourful Activities for Holi the Festival of Colours - Ninja Notes

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Learning about different traditions allows students to explore people and their cultures around the world. And it's a cheap way to travel! We collected activities for Holi so you can travel with your students. Holi is an ancient Hindu festival that originates and is widely celebrated in India.