Traditions: August 2009

Holi Information - Can you make questions about it?

It celebrates the arrival of spring flowers and when the main crops are almost ready for the spring harvest. The festival lasts anything from three to five days and is known as the festival of colour.

Begins with the lighting of bonfires which have been built by everyone.

The ashes of the fires are marked on the forehead to bring good luck in the year ahead.

Throwing of colour. People throw coloured water and red powders over friends or anyone who passes by. It is a happy celebration, everybody dances and has great fun. Processions of floats carrying statues of the gods line the streets.

Holi is named after the goddess Holika. During the festival, people burn the image of Holika as a symbol that good has defeated evil.

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MIX THE COLOURS

Mix the colours, stir the colours
What can be seen?
Mix in the yellow and stir in the blue
And all you can see is green

Mix the colours, stir the colours
Tell me what you think.
Mix in the red and stir in the white
And all you can see is pink.

Mix the colours, stir the colours
Oh what can you arrange.
Mix in the red and stir in the yellow
And all you can see is orange
.

By Shirley West

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THE STORY OF HOLI

A story to read

There was once a very cruel king called Hirnakashyah who had a son called Prahlad. Prahlad was very good and always prayed to the god Vishnu, which made his father very angry. The King tried very hard to make his son give up his belief in Vishnu.

So the King ordered his sister Holika to take Prahlad in her arms and for both of them to walk into the burning fire. The plan was that Prahlad would die and Holika would be saved because she was protected by the gods of flames. What the King did not know was that the gods' charm over Holika didn't work for one hour during the day. The hour chosen for lighting the fire just happened to be that very hour. When the flames leapt up, Holika died and Prahlad was saved by Vishnu.

Prahlad was so sorry for Holika that he promised to name a festival after her. So now we have the festival of Holi.

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Holi Festival - India

Holi is a harvest celebration marking the end of spring. It is celebrated each year on the day after the full moon in early March all over India. This is one of the most colorful Indian festivals.

Bonfires are lit to banish the cold winter and grains from the harvest are offered to the flames. During the festival there is plenty of color throwing, prayer, fasting and feasting. People run through the streets throwing colored powder and water at each other. There is exchange of greetings, the older people give out sweets and money and everyone joins in dancing to the rhythm of the drums. This is a celebration of joy and hope which is eagerly awaited by Indians.