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Discover the Colorful World of Holi: Top 9 Fun Facts About This Vibrant Festival

illustration of holi
Get ready to dive into a vibrant world of colors and joy, as we uncover some of the most fascinating and little-known fun facts about Holi, the festival that paints our lives with pure delight!

1. Bend it like Krishna

Who needs Jazzercise when you can just play Holi at the Banke Bihari Temple? They'll teach you how to bend it like Krishna: During the six-day festival in Vrindavan, the deity Shri Krishna is celebrated in his unique Tribhanga posture, nicknamed Banke Bihari for his "bent enjoyer" stance. Devotees colorfully dance their way through an unforgettable experience, playing Holi with natural sacred colors, smearing each other and the divine Krishna, while partaking in mouth-watering bhog and dishes.
Source => timesnownews.com

2. Pichkari Splash Origins

Forget water guns at a summer pool party; the real inspiration for drenching your friends in color comes from an ancient love story: Young Krishna playfully used a pichkari, a water jet, to splash Radha's face with colors, which is now a tradition in Indian Holi celebrations and the origin of using pichkaris during this festive occasion.
Source => holifestival.org

3. Tough Love and Saucy Lyrics

Talk about tough love: In the Lathmar Holi festival, men from Nandgaon channel their inner Lord Krishnas, serenading the ladies of Barsana with cheeky songs and raunchy taunts, only to be playfully assaulted by bamboo-wielding gals! Behind the colorful chaos, there's an interesting reason why inter-village marriages are forbidden - to avoid awkward family gatherings where dad's forced to sing saucy lyrics to his own daughter or sister.
Source => india.blogs.nytimes.com

4. Sweet Laddoo Holi

Forget about sugar, spice, and everything nice: Holi in Vrindavan has a recipe for pure delight where sweets take center stage! In a mouthwatering interpretation of the festival, the Laddoo Holi celebration has people play with bright yellow Bundi Laddoos instead of colours - taking place on Falgun Shukla Ashtami, followed by the famous Lathmar Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon.
Source => taleof2backpackers.com

Walking, Talking Rainbows

5. Walking, Talking Rainbows

If you've ever wanted to live your technicolor dream and turn into a walking, talking rainbow, Holi might just be your jam: It's an ancient Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and the joyous antics of Lord Krishna, which principally involves splashing vibrant dyes on everyone around, turning the streets into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colors, each with its own meaning and symbolism rooted in Hinduism.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

6. Fighting Fire with Fire

Whoever said "you can't fight fire with fire" clearly never celebrated Holi: Holika Dahan, a central part of the festival, involves the ritual burning of an effigy representing demoness Holika, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
Source => m.economictimes.com

7. Bhang: The Divine Concoction

Forget the booze, get ready to lose... your mind: Holi, the iconic festival of colors in India, involves the consumption of a divine concoction called Bhang, made from cannabis flowers combined with curd and whey, not only for its recreational and medicinal benefits, but also for enabling spiritual communication with deities and inspiring feats of strength in legendary battles.
Source => deionescu.com

8. Kaleidoscopic Food Fight

Before guzzling copious amounts of pumpkin spice lattes, our Indian counterparts painted the town red, blue, yellow, and every color of the rainbow like a kaleidoscopic food fight: During Holi in India, people tossed natural dyes from flowers and herbs at each other to mark the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. However, nowaday most of the vibrant hues come from synthetic dyes, but it doesn't dampen the festivities where people get caught up in the gods' playful and flirtatious spirit.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

9. Mother Nature's Color Palette

Who needs a paint party when Mother Nature's got your back with her very own all-natural color palette? Feast your eyes on this: Holi's dazzling hues are traditionally concocted from natural ingredients like sandalwood, henna, and vegetable extracts. On top of that, DIY color enthusiasts can whip up these eco-friendly pigments at home using humble kitchen staples like beetroot, spinach, and turmeric, ensuring a brilliantly colorful and Earth-friendly celebration for all!
Source => m.timesofindia.com

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