Holi 2020: Everything You Need to Know

Holi festival 2020, the Festival of Colors, is knocking on the door.

If Holi comes at your door, how can you miss the vibe of the color and celebration?

Each year, my preparation starts months earlier planning and designing to celebrate the Holi with friends and family. Holi 2020 festival will not be different.

Let me share what Holi 2020 brings and how we can celebrate it with friends and family.

Also check: Holi Wallpapers: Best Happy Holi Images 2020

What is Holi?

Holi is a famous Hindu religious festival, a celebration of colors, a national occasion in India and Nepal with lots of varieties in the celebration. To numerous Hindus and some non-Hindus, it is a fun-loving social occasion and a lawful reason to toss hued water at relatives, companions, friends, or outsiders jokingly.

It is sometimes paraphrased as the “celebration of spring”, the “celebration of colors”, or the “celebration of affection”. It was originated as part of the Hindu traditional ritual to welcome spring and to mark the ending of winter and the blooming of affection through the religious rituals. But it has a strong connection with Hindu religion.

It is a two-day long ritual. The devoted Hindu start the ritual the night before Holi at the night of the Purnima (Full Moon day) falling in the Vikram Samvat calendar, in the Hindu schedule month of Phalguna, which falls around the center of March in the Gregorian schedule. The primary night is known as Holika Dahan (consuming of evil spirit Holika) or Chhoti Holi and the next day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, or Phagwah.

When is Holi?

Holi has a definite date to be celebrated each year anywhere in the globe according to Hindu calendar. Holi happens on the last full moon of the Hindu lunar month Phalguna. This implies it can fall anyplace between late February and late March on the Gregorian schedule — this year it’s March 10 and 11 — and harmonizes with Indian winter’s advances into pre-storm or summer season. Here is the list of the date of Holi in India for the last five years with a one-year advance.

When is Holi 2020?

Hindu considers Holi as the celebration of spring, hues, and love. This is on the grounds that the celebration is an indication of happening to spring, winter’s end, and thriving of adoration. This is likewise the ideal opportunity for some individuals to meet one another, giggle and play someone of a kind sort of game. As per the Hindu calendar, Holi in 2020 would be celebrated all over India on the 10^th and 11th of March.

Why Do We celebrate Holi? The Significance of Holi

The significance and the history of Holi take back to the Hindu god Vishnu and his faithful devotee Prahlada. In ancient times, according to Hindu Mythology, Lord Hiranyakashipu, as per the description of (see part 7 of Bhagavata Purana) was the ruler of evil Asuras. He got a boon that gave him five uncommon powers: he could be killed by neither an individual nor a creature, neither inside nor outside, neither at day nor around evening time, neither by Astra (shot weapons) nor by any Shastra (handheld weapons), and neither ashore nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu developed haughty thought that tempted him to declare as God.

Hiranyakashipu’s child, Prahlada, who is the faithful follower of Vishnu, did not like this idea and therefore he stood against his father. He Prahalad’s stance irritated Hiranyakashipu that resulted in stern punishment for him. But the punishment proved as a wrong method to convince the boy to respect his father’s view. At long last, Holika, Prahlada’s abhorrent auntie, fooled him into sitting on fire with her. Holika was wearing a shroud that made her resistant to injury from fire, while Prahlada was definitely not. As the fire thundered, the shroud flew from Holika and encased Prahlada, who endure while Holika consumed.

Vishnu, the God who shows up as a symbol to reestablish Dharma in Hindu convictions, appeared as Narasimha – half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor a creature), at sunset (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashipu at a doorstep (which was neither inside nor outside), set him on his lap (which was neither one of the lands, water nor air), and afterward gutted and killed the ruler with his lion paws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a propelled weapon).

Thus, the victory represents the victory of the representative triumph of good over fiendishness, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that consumed Holika. Later, the followers of the Hindu religion started to manifest the joy of victory celebration of the victory by throwing colors.

How Holi Festival is celebrated?

Holi is one of the most popular religious festivals in India. People from all walks of life celebrate the festival and wait for the day of celebration for days. It brings an opportunity to share love and affection towards relatives, friends and even strangers.

People start taking preparation for the occasion from the beginning of March. They distribute invitation cards, send Holi messages to friends and relatives, buy colors to throw others at the day. Holi is a two-day long festival with the first day starts with Chhoti Holi where the Rangwali Holi ends the festival.

Chasing friends with color at hand to throw is the most common practice at Holi. The Hindus throw color to other whoever the person is or no matter wherever the place is.  It might happen in the boulevards, grounds and even structures. They sing various songs loudly, play numerous musical instruments outside the home. While they move one place to another, the festival is set apart with the sharing of desserts and drinks.

The night before Holi: The prior night Holi begins with a Holika campfire. The Hindus perform customary strict ceremonies and rituals before the fire. They additionally supplicate that their inside shades of malice to be washed down.

The day of Rangwali Holi: the most enjoyable part of Holi is the Rangwali Holi. On this day, people be it young or old, boy or girl, women or kids have fun and spend the most joyous time in the morning. They chase one another to throw colors, dance and play.

What Are the Origins of Holi?

The origin of Holi is instilled in Hindu religion and Hindi Mythology. The demolishing of King Hiranyakashipu and the victory of Lord Vishnu is connected with the origin of Holi. They had a battle over the feud of infidelity. King Hiranyakashipu suddenly claimed himself a God and ordered to be worshiped by his subjects. pave the way for the celebration of an achievement.

It is referenced in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita, and by the artist Kalidasa during the fourth-century rule of Chandragupta II. The festival of Holi is additionally referenced in the seventh century Sanskrit dramatization Ratnavali. The celebration of Holi got the interest of European dealers and British pioneer staff by the seventeenth century.

What Does Holi Signify?

Celebrating Holi signifies several things. According to Hindu religion, the eviction of King Hiranyakashipu from his thrown and death at the end of the small battle with Lord Vishnu. The fight between Lord Vishnu and King Hiranyakashipu is paraphrased as good and evil. And the victory over King Hiranyakashipu is believed to be the victory of good.

The celebration has another meaning; most conspicuously, it commends the start of Spring. In seventeenth-century writing, it was distinguished as a celebration that commended agribusiness, recognized great spring harvests and the rich land. Hindus trust it is a period of making the most of spring’s bottomless hues and saying goodbye to winter.

To numerous Hindus, Holi merriments mark the start of the new year just as an event to reset and restore burst connections, end clashes and free themselves of gathered enthusiastic contaminations from an earlier time.

Is Holi a Religious Holiday?

Holi is rooted in the Hindu religion. The inspiration of celebrating Holi came from the Hindu Purana (Bhagavata Purana). Apart from it, Holi relates to the different Hindu religious legends. The legend of Hiranyakashipu and Prahlada paved the way for initiating a celebration of victory over evil. Hiranyakashipu the king of 3 represents evil and Prahlada does good. Hiranyakashipu enraged the Lord Vishnu claiming himself as God.

The Lord Vishnu had to appear as savior of religion from the hands of evil like Hiranyakashipu as he promised to the Hindus. He fought against him and knocked down from the hands of evil like Hiranyakashipu. To mark this victory, Hindus all over the world celebrate the event as Holi.

Who Observes Holi?

No doubt, Holi is a religious festival that was initiated by the Hindu religion in ancient times. Irrespective of the geographical identity, Hindus all over the globe celebrate to highlight the glory of the strength and commitment of Lord Vishnu. They believe Holi gets them closer to each other and brings an opportunity to eat and drink without limit on this occasion. Hindus from all castes and regions regard Holi as an important religious ritual. They observe Holi with due grandeur and festivity. Though it is their religious ritual, they try best to inject the ritual in other religion in the name of festival.

Where is Holi A Bublic Holiday?

India is the largest stakeholder of Holi with a huge number of devotees and followers around the country. Despite their extreme effort to make it public holiday, very few states declared a public holiday. India two years before declared Holi as the gazetted holiday. Since then, it is observed as a public holiday. Earlier, Holi was a restricted holiday in India.

Holi Festival in India

Holi is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. It is not only religious rituals, rather the most prevalent cultural practice. People all over India call it with different names in different areas. In Assam, Holi is called Doul Jatra. In Bhojpuri language, Holi is called Phaguwa. The festival of Holi is strongly rooted in the Hindu religion and Mythology. So, as per the devotees India, Holi in India is the biggest religious festival among the neighboring countries. They regard Holi as an important part of their religion and lives. Each year, they wait for the day and celebrate with high spirits and festive mode.   

Holi Festival in Nepal

Along with other Hindu nations, Nepal celebrates Holi as a national festival. They celebrate it along with traditional Nepali Dashain and Tihar (Dipawali). It is praised in the Nepali month of Phagun (same date as Indian Holi) and implies the legends of the Hindu god Krishna. Newer Buddhists and others love Saraswati’s place of worship in Vajrayogini sanctuaries and commend the celebration with their Hindu friends.

Holi Festival in Pakistan

Holi is observed by the small Hindu community in Pakistan. Earlier in Pakistan, Holi was not a public occasion in Pakistan from 1947 to 2016. Later, in 2016 the new government got an opportunity to think to give a room for the Hindu community alongside Diwali for Hindus, and Easter for Christians. This choice has been disputable, with certain Pakistanis respecting the choice, while others reprimanding it, with the worry that announcing Holi a public festival will promote a Hindu celebration to Pakistani youngsters.

Holi Festival in Bangladesh

Holi in Bangladesh is aminor practice with few numbers of Hindus in the country. By being the second largest religion in Bangladesh, Hindu gets special attention to celebrate Holi with full support. Though the country is Muslim-dominated, Hindus in Bangladesh enjoy unbound freedom to practice their religion. Obviously, the grandeur and show of Holi as saw in India is missing, by the by, festivities do happen. Hindu people group assemble in sanctuaries and trade welcome with one another and play with hues.

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Happy Holi 2020

Holi festival promotes with uniting the general public and reinforce the mainstream texture of nation. Despite being practiced by the people of different castes and religions, Holi festival remains the pure Hindu religious festival. Since then, it is attempted to establish as the “festival” to make it universal, but the root of Holi remains in the Hindu religion and thus followers of other religion (such as Muslim, Christian and Buddhist) should not celebrate Holi 2020 festival.