As spring approaches, Hindu communities around the world celebrate one of their most vibrant and joyous celebrations – Holi, the Festival of Colours. This ancient tradition, deeply rooted in Hindu culture, has evolved into a global phenomenon that transcends religious boundaries while maintaining its spiritual significance.

The Essence of Holi

Holi, celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) between late February and mid-March, marks the arrival of spring – a season of hope and new beginnings. This year, Holi was celebrated on March 14, 2025, and Hindu communities across the globe painted the town ‘gulal’.

“Holi encourages people to renew our efforts at becoming decent human beings—reflect on our past misdeeds, improve our routines and interactions, and continue making progress in life,” explains the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) in their comprehensive 2025 Holi Toolkit, which provides resources for celebrations at home, in schools, and across communities.

Three Stories, One Festival

The celebration of Holi is steeped in mythology, with several legends explaining its origins. One of the most popular stories involves Prince Prahlad and his wicked aunt Holika. Drunk on power, arrogant King Hiranyakashipu ordered everyone to worship him instead of God, but that did not stop his son Prahlad from offering prayers to Lord Vishnu every day. After several failed attempts to stop Prahlad from chanting God’s name, the king enlisted his sister Holika, who was immune to fire, to carry Prahlad into a fire pit and kill him. However, God protected Prahlad and reversed Holika’s powers, saving the boy and punishing the aunt for her evil deed. 

Another beloved tale is of Krishna and his beloved Radha. It so happened that one day, Radha decided she did not want to play Holi with everyone, as it would leave her lesser time to play Holi with Krishna. Though Krishna assured her and invited her to his town, she refused. This saddened Krishna very much. Looking at the lovers’ despair, their friends brought them together to play Holi. Having spent ample time with each other, they returned to their towns to play Holi with everyone. The moral, therefore depicts the importance of love, friendship and togetherness. 

In rural India, Holi also serves as a harvest celebration, marking the end of winter hardship and the beginning of spring’s abundance. Such community elements of Holi is compared by some to the American Thanksgiving tradition, the Christian festival of Easter and Jewish tradition of Passover. The festival hence, also derives its name from “holaka,” a special blend of roasted grains prepared for the occasion. 

Celebrating with Colours and Spirit of Community

The Holi celebration typically begins with Holi Purnima, featuring a bonfire where people gather to sing and dance, symbolically burning away negativity from the past year. The following day brings the iconic colour play, where participants of all ages dress in white and joyfully throw colored powder (gulal) and water (pani) at each other.

“Color paints the sky, rangolis are painted in front of houses, temples, and businesses, children receive new toys, and festive music and beats create a fun-filled noisy atmosphere,” describes the HAF toolkit. “There are no formalities with Holi and with music in the air and coloured powder floating all around, no one can help but smile at the sight.”

In the evening, families and friends gather for festive meals featuring traditional Holi delicacies. These gatherings strengthen community bonds and provide an opportunity to share stories and traditions across generations.

A Global Celebration

While Holi originated in India, today it is celebrated worldwide by people of various faiths and backgrounds. Hindu temples and South Asian cultural centres organize community events, and many non-Hindu organizations have embraced the festival’s spirit of joy and unity.

“You can combine Holi with other holidays for a fun interfaith celebration to signify the arrival of spring and starting anew,” suggests the HAF toolkit, highlighting the festival’s universal appeal.

In recent years, Holi-inspired events like colour runs have gained popularity, adapting the festival’s playful elements into contemporary cultural activities that appeal to diverse audiences.

Fun and Learning Comes Together in the Holi Toolkit 2025

AHF’s Holi Toolkit provides comprehensive educational resources for teaching about this vibrant Hindu Spring festival. The toolkit begins with an accessible Holi Fact Sheet that covers essential information and serves as an excellent starting point for learning about the Festival of Colours. The Stories of Holi Reading Primer narrates three popular origin stories, helping students understand the festival’s cultural significance. For creative engagement, the toolkit offers a Holi Haiku activity that blends intercultural learning with Japanese poetry formats, and a challenging Crossword Puzzle that reinforces key concepts.

The Roy G. Biv Activity explores colour significance in Hindu culture and rituals while teaching basic principles of hue and pigment. For formal classroom integration, the toolkit includes a specialized English Language Arts lesson designed for grades 4-6, alongside a Colour Vowel Chart for pronunciation practice of relevant terminology. The toolkit also provides practical celebration guidance with options for homes, schools, and community settings – from outdoor activities like rangoli drawing and traditional ‘gulal’ throwing to indoor alternatives using confetti or flower petals.

Additional supporting materials include a ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation, community celebration suggestions like interfaith spring festivals and Holi-inspired colour runs, plus access to further digital resources through the hinduamerican.org/holi website.

The Meaning Behind the Merriment

Beyond the colourful festivities, Holi carries profound messages that resonate across cultures. The festival teaches the importance of sincerity, love, and working together to overcome challenges. Whether celebrating at home, in schools, or at community events, Holi offers a powerful reminder of spring’s transformative power and the enduring human capacity for happiness and hope.

For those looking to learn more about Holi or find resources for celebration, HAF offers comprehensive information at www.hinduamerican.org/holi.   

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