Holi Festival is celebrated this year on the 6 and 7 of MArch 2023.
Also called the festival of colors
But what is this festival ?
Holi celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is said that once Holi is celebrated it will be less and less cold. This festival doesn't happen each year at the same date, because Nepali people follow a lunar calendar. Holi is celebrated in the 11th month of the Nepali year during a full moon.
An other Hindu meaning of this festival, is the good triumphing over evil. the word Holi comes from the demoness named Holika. The night preceding Holi, bonfire are started to recreate the scene where Holika burns on the fire.
If you want to more about Holika I invite you to go read this article that explains more in detail the story of Holika : https://www.hindufaqs.com/fr/story-of-holi-dahan-the-holy-fire-burning-of-holi-bonfire/
How is it celebrated ?
Slowly with time the festival has evolved a lot, 40 or 50 years ago the festivities would last 8 days, now only 2 days. If you walk around in the center of Kathmandu during this 2 days, don't wear you favorite clothes, they will most certainly be stained. A crowd of people walks the streets with small packets of colored powder ready to draw to color you from head to toe.
These colored powders are not the only weapons of this day, water is also present, whether coming from a bottle, a water gun, a bucket or a hose. The roofs being flat, many people remain sheltered on their terrace to water those who pass below.
The music accompanying all Nepalese festival is necessarily present. In several places you will find mini stages with large speakers for the DJs to pace the day.
Another part of this tradition
On the first day of the festival a large colorful bamboo pole called "chir" is erected at Basantapur, it is decorated with strips of fabrics of different colors. It is considered sacred, and the Nepalese come to its base to deposit candles, flowers and red powder which they also throw in the air. The festivities will last 2 days but the festival will officially end 7 days later when the chir is brought down and burned.
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