Holi is a festival of colors, joy, happiness and unity which is also known as the spring season. This is a very popular festival in India and it would not be wrong to say that this festival is equally loved in many other countries as well.
Holi festival starts with the Holika Dehan (bonefire) in which people gather all together a night before holi and sing and dance. The next morning, people are free to play with colors and water. People throw color in the air to start their holi celebration and it means that they are serving the first color to the god and then they start celebrating this colorful festival with their friends and family. This is a very fair game for all rich-poor, family-strangers, weak-powerful, man-woman, children-elder as you can throw color to anyone you want and even you can throw water filled balloon to them. There is an old saying of holi ” Bura na mano Holi hai” which means don’t be angry its a festival and lets enjoy all together with love and peace. During the break people also enjoy some delicious holi special dishes and food and drinks like special besan namkeen, gujia and bhaang and thandia. Bhaang is something which always goes with holi which is made of cannibas leaves. Except for thandia bhaang is also mixed in many other dishes and drinks as well like pakodas and sweets. Bhaang is an intoxicating ingredient, once you had bhaang then you are surely out of your control and will start laughing, crying and will keep on doing what you are doing.
After the celebration of this colorful day people takes bath and wear new cloths and visit family and friends and enjoy the rest of the evening without any colors but with joy, happiness and peace.
Holi is also celebrated in many other countries as well with same love, joy, happiness and excitement. So here are some of the countries who celebrates holi with full excitement.
- Nepal
In Nepal, holi is celebrated two times in a year. First is celebrated in the month of Falgun which is also called Phaguwa and other one is celebrated in the full moon day in hills.
In Nepal, holi is as important as there all other important festivals like Daishain, Tihar (dipawali). As we all know that 80% population of Nepal is belongs to hindu religion, so it is obvious that this festival holds a very important in their heart. The Nepali holi is very much similar to India. People here comes down to the street and visit each others house and exchanges colors and the after that they throw colors at each other and also throw water balloons which is a very famous tradition of holi and also known as “lola” there.
- Trinidad and Tobago
Indians are easily found in Trinidad and Tobago. So, it is pretty obvious that holi is played here with a lot of excitement but there is no national holiday for holi in Trinidad and Tobago. Holi is only played on the sunday closest in Trinidad and Tobago. But apart from this, people enjoy playing holi here and sings songs, dance on beats and throw colors and water on each other and just enjoy this occasion from their heart.
- Guyana
Holi is celebrated here with the name of “Phagwa”. People here celebrate holi as their major and important festival. There is a national holiday on the occasion of holi in Guyana. So, from here you can guess the importance of this festival in the heart of Guyana. The main celebration in Guyana is held in the mandir of Prashad nagar where many people gather all together to play with colors and water and just to enjoy this particular day. This is also a way of social gathering from there as people from different nationality, race, caste comes all together under one roof and have no difference while playing holi.
- Fiji
Indo-Fijians celebrates holi as a festival of folk songs, folk dance and colors. the folk song sung in Fiji during holi is called Faang gaaian. Holi is not only the season of spring but also in this season crops are ripened and this festival is also a symbol of love, friendship and excitement.Not only romance and friendship, but this festival is also a festival of perfumes, color and powder. Many of the songs which are sung in the occasion of this festival are based on love and relationship of Lord Krishna and Radha Rani.
- Mauritius
Holi in Mauritius is celebrated just after the Shivratri and is celebrated just before the spring. Hindus believe this as the welcome festival for spring and a farewell season for winter season. During this festival and event, people hold bonfire in their hand and throw color at each other and throw water balloons at each and sing songs and dance on the beats and lyrics of the songs.
- Pakistan
We all know that Pakistan was a part of India till 1947 and it would be right to say that Pakistan is well aware of this festive season and people there are well connected with this festival.
On this day, there is a tradition there of breaking of “matka”(earthen pot) which is hung at a very high spot. Men form a pyramid to climb up and try to break the “matka” but the people who are not participating this contest throw water, butter, milk and many other liquid form things on them in order to stop them break that “matka”. This is supposed to be the re-enact of stopping Lord Krishna from stealing Makhan.
- Manila, Philippines
Holi is celebrated in Manila at a very large scale. A huge holi party is organised here every year and people from all over the world comes here to enjoy this epic color festival. If you are planning to visit Manila and particate in this party the you need passes to enter this party. But unfortunately there are only limited passes in this party which are mostly out of stock due to extra demand of that.
http://www.hindutav.com/7-countries-except-india-who-celebrates-holi-with-full-enthusiasm/
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