Holi is an ancient sacred Hindu festival often referred to as the Festival of Spring, Festival of Colours or Festival of Love. Holi is typically celebrated in March, but the date can vary due to the lunar cycle. It is mainly seen to mark the end of winter, the beginning of spring and the blossoming of love.

On the day of Holi, both streets and people are enveloped in a blaze of pinks, oranges, greens and blues as handfuls of coloured powder and coloured water are aimed at fellow revellers symbolising the triumph of good over evil.

All of us have such busy lives, attempting to balance family, friends, work and a host of sometimes endless commitments. But it’s times like this, when we must press pause, and take a little time out to take stock of what we have and how lucky we are while celebrating those around us.

Restaurant life is often frantic, but it’s also equally rewarding as our friends, family and wonderful customers make everything we do so worthwhile.

So, we invite you to celebrate Holi with us as we leave winter and enter spring – a time to welcome colour, love and friendship.

Holi hai!

What is Holi?

Holi is an ancient sacred Hindu festival often referred to as the Festival of Spring, Festival of Colours or Festival of Love. Along with Diwali, the Festival of Lights, it’s one of the two most auspicious and widely celebrated Hindu festivals.

When is Holi celebrated?

Holi always falls within the twelfth month of the year on the last full moon, or Purnima, in the lunar month of Phalguna. It is typically celebrated in March, but the date can vary slightly due to the lunar cycle, so the festival sometimes takes place in late February.

Why do people celebrate Holi?

The festival has many purposes and thoughts on this vary greatly. It is mainly seen to mark the end of winter, the beginning of spring, the blossoming of love and the triumph of good over evil. To many Hindus, Holi is a time to fix broken relationships and to start anew, a day to forgive and to forget, putting grievances, resentment, anger or conflict aside.

How long does Holi last?

Holi is celebrated across two days.

What is Chhoti Holi?

The eve of Holi is referred to as Chhoti Holi (Little Holi), Jalane Wali Holi or Holika Dahan (the day Holika burned), when a bonfire is lit to celebrate the burning of the demoness, Holika – a ritual symbolising the power of good over evil. Although a cooler season, the warmth of the fire and magical site encourages locals to venture out and to sing and dance around the flames making it as much a social occasion as a religious one. Friends and family come together with loved ones and gifts are often exchanged.

How is Holi celebrated?

On the day of Holi, or Rangwali Holi, people pour onto the streets with bags of coloured powder (gulal), water guns and liquid-filled balloons. Both streets and people are enveloped in a blaze of pinks, oranges, greens and blues as handfuls of coloured powder and coloured water are aimed at fellow revellers. This is a time to let go and to celebrate and so those immersing themselves in the event and purposely allowing themselves to be covered head to toe in colour usually have the most fun.

Why are coloured powders used during Holi celebrations?

One of the main reasons for using brightly coloured powders is to signify the triumph of good over evil. Historically, Holi celebrated fertile land, agriculture, a healthy spring crop and all the wonderful colours that spring brought with it.

Which colours are most associated with Holi?

The original Holi colour was red (gulal), but now from vivid reds to vibrant greens, exotic pinks and sunny yellows to bright blues, the colours used can symbolise many different things including:

Red – Love, commitment, strength and bravery

Green – Nature, spring, rebirth and new beginnings

Blue – This colour symbolises Lord Krishna, the god of protection, compassion and love

Yellow – Happiness, meditation and peace. The colour of turmeric, the main spice used in Indian cuisine, is considered to have medicinal properties.

Orange – Strength, courage and sacrifice. The colour of saffron, an extremely popular natural food colouring.

Pink – Youth, good health and playfulness

PurpleAre any Hindu gods associated with Holi?

Three main Hindu deities are associated with Holi – Lord Vishnu, Lord Krishna and the goddess, Radha.

Lord Vishnu is the protector of dharma (the right way of living) and the guardian of order and truth, with the power to restore the balance between good and evil.

Lord Krishna is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness and love.

Radha is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion and devotion.

Is Holi linked to Hindu legends?

Holi is linked to a variety of symbolic legends, one including Lord Krishna.

As a young boy, Lord Krishna agonised over the fact that the fair-skinned goddess, Radha, would dislike him due to the dark colour of his skin. Following a few wise words from his mother, Yashoda, Krishna approached Radha suggesting she colour his face in any colour she wished. She chose dark blue. The eternal relationship between Radha and Krishna is not viewed as physical, but divine. This is one of the reasons behind using colour to adorn others during Holi celebrations.

How do Hindus worship during Holi?

Holi ceremonies are held in temples and cultural centres throughout India. These settings are transformed with brightly coloured decorations and the gods are adorned with equally colourful clothes and jewels.

Are any foods or drinks associated with Holi?

The main food and drink associated with Holi are gujiya, a classic Indian dessert, and thandai, a traditional milk-based drink.

Gujiya

Although the name may differ depending on the region of India, made with either suju (semolina) or maida (flour) and often stuffed with a mix of sweetened khoa (milk solids), dried fruits, nuts and coconut then baked or deep fried in ghee, one bite into this sweet and crispy, half-moon-shaped parcel will take you right back to childhood.

Thandai (cooling)

This refreshing, sweet-yet-spicy milky concoction is prepared with a blend of sugar, almonds, fennel, poppy and watermelon seeds, rose petals, pepper, cardamom and saffron. Rich in antioxidants, thandai is seen as a healthy option, claiming to improve gut health and to strengthen the immune system.

Holi is a time for all of us to get together with friends and family, old and new. Perhaps it’s also a time to re-connect with loved ones from our past and what better way to do so than with a feast of colour and, of course, incredible flavour at Namaste.

To all our wonderful customers, old and new…Holi hai!