Holi – 8th of March
guest | March 8th, 2012 in : cultural diversity, days of significance, East Asia, social practices
Holi is a Hindu spring festival that traditionally celebrates fertility and harvest.
Don't feel offended, it's Holi!
Recently, it has also gained religious elements, marking some of the ancient Hindu legends, such as the legend of Prahalad and Holika.
Although Holi has many origin stories, none of them are quite as fascinating as the celebration its self. On the streets, Holi takes the form of a carnival…
It’s often called the messiest festival for it’s use of powder paint. During the main day, the Holi, people throw powdered paint and water at each other, even at complete strangers! One of the most thrilling aspects of the celebration is the declining of social norms, status, and hierarchies. Once everyone is wet and covered in paint the traditional indicators of caste and class disappear. Even the usually expected gender roles diffuse and a lot of public flirting takes place.
During Holi, none of the strict social rules apply, and everyone celebrates with great enthusiasm and joy. Hence, the popular saying “Bura na mano, Holi hai! – Don’t feel offended, it’s Holi!”
Other celebrations in March:
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Its Abolition
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
Tags: gender roles, Hindu festival, Holi, paint, Spring festival
Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets. 