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ShareHoli is a beautifully colourful, ancient, Hindu celebration. It takes on many names and represents many things. Festival of Spring, Festival of Colours, or Festival of Love signify the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring and the blossoming of love. It lasts for a night and a day according to the Vikram Samvat Calendar and the phase of the moon – this year it will take place on 9th and 10th March.
It is best known for the bright and colourful powder that celebrators throw at each other. There are four main powder colours and they each represent something different. Red symbolises love and fertility; yellow is the colour of turmeric, a spice native to India and often used as a natural remedy; blue symbolises the Hindu God Krishna, the colour of his skin; and green is for new beginnings.
But this is just one part of Holi – the event is split into two: Holika Dahan and Rangwali Holi. During Holika Dahan, the first night, wood and dung-cakes are burnt to signify good defeating evil (Hindu God Vishnu burning the devil Holika to death).
The
next day, for Rangwali Holi, people gather together to play, laugh, forget,
forgive and repair broken relationships. Friends, families and communities
should come together and not worry about caste or ethnicity. This draws on the
legend of Krishna and Goddess Radha, who loved each other but felt self-conscious
of how different their skin-colours were. So, Krishna’s mother advised him to
colour Radha’s face the same as his.
Happy
Holi to our customers and staff all across the world.