HOLIPURNIMA

The two-day Indian festival of Holi is one of the twelve Full Moon festivals of the Indian lunar calenda. Each month begins with the New Moon and is divided into 2 fortnights, the bright half of the waxing moon and the dark half of the waning moon. The Full Moon (purnima) in the middle signifies culmination and fulfillment: the perfect time for a festival! Holi celebrates the Full Moon called the Holi Purnima, which occurs in the lunar month of Phalgun
Holi thus celebrates the coming of spring, which is enacted in a legend of fire. An evil demon, ruler of heaven, earth and hell, forced everyone to worship him as a god. His little son Prahlad, however, remained faithful to Lord Vishnu. So the King wanted him dead. His wicked sister, the demon Holika (after whom the festival is named), could not be harmed by fire. Taking up Prahlad, she entered a bonfire. But through Vishnu’s intervention, she was the one who burned and the child remained
Holi thus celebrates the coming of spring, which is enacted in a legend of fire. An evil demon, ruler of heaven, earth and hell, forced everyone to worship him as a god. His little son Prahlad, however, remained faithful to Lord Vishnu. So the King wanted him dead. His wicked sister, the demon Holika (after whom the festival is named), could not be harmed by fire. Taking up Prahlad, she entered a bonfire. But through Vishnu’s intervention, she was the one who burned and the child remained safe
Holi thus celebrates the coming of spring, which is enacted in a legend of fire. An evil demon, ruler of heaven, earth and hell, forced everyone to worship him as a god. His little son Prahlad, however, remained faithful to Lord Vishnu. So the King wanted him dead. His wicked sister, the demon Holika (after whom the festival is named), could not be harmed by fire. Taking up Prahlad, she entered a bonfire. But through Vishnu’s intervention, she was the one who burned and the child remained safe.Bon fires commemorating this tale of devotion overcoming even the most powerful of obstacles are lit on the first day of Holi, the day of the Full Moon. People throw cow dung into the fires and shout obscenities at Holika.
Holi is a lighthearted celebration of exuberance and cheer. There are wild processions to drum beats and dances to traditional Holi folk songs. People let go of past grievances an look forward to a new beginning. The young are allowed to get intoxicated, behave rudely and play pranks.