About Holi

होली

00 days

Happy Holi
होली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं
होळीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा
હોળીની હાર્દિક શુભકામનાઓ
শুভ দোলযাত্রা

248 wishes · 5 languages · 5 photo designs · Updated October 2026

About Holi

Holi is the festival of colours and the welcome of spring. It falls on the full moon of the month of Phalgun, usually in March. The evening before is Holika Dahan, a bonfire night, and the next morning is Rangwali Holi, when people play with colours.

The bonfire remembers the story of Prahlad, a boy whose faith in Lord Vishnu kept him safe from the fire of Holika. The colours recall the playful love of Radha and Krishna in Braj, where Holi is celebrated for many days.

Today families and friends throw gulal, play with water, sing to the dhol and visit neighbours. Kitchens fill with gujiya, puran poli, dahi vada, malpua and thandai. In Bengal it is Dol Jatra, with Radha and Krishna carried on a swing, and in Maharashtra and Gujarat the colour day is called Rangpanchami or Dhuleti.

Holi is celebrated across North and West India, Nepal and wherever Indian communities live, from Mauritius, Fiji and the Caribbean, where it is called Phagwah, to the UK, the US, Canada and Australia.

Two days: Holika Dahan and Rangwali Holi
Phalguna Purnima, in March
Biggest in North India and Nepal
Braj Holi lasts weeks

Where it began

Legend says the demon king Hiranyakashipu wanted everyone to worship him, but his son Prahlad stayed devoted to Vishnu. The king's sister Holika, who could not be burned, sat with Prahlad in a fire. Holika burned and Prahlad came out safe. The Holika bonfire the night before Holi remembers this win of faith.

In Braj, the land of Krishna, one story tells that young Krishna, worried about his dark skin, playfully coloured Radha's face. This love story is the root of the colour play, and Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana celebrate it for many days.

Holi is one of the oldest Hindu festivals. Old Sanskrit plays and poems describe spring festivals with colour and music, and paintings from royal courts show kings and queens playing Holi with syringes of coloured water.

A cloud of yellow colour powder thrown over a huge crowd in a temple courtyard — A burst of yellow colour over the crowdUttar Pradesh, India

How it grew over time

Ancient times
Spring festivals of colour and the burning of Holika are described in old texts as a welcome to the new harvest.
Medieval period
Poets of Braj sing of Krishna and Radha's Holi, and the festival becomes a favourite subject of court painters.
1700s and 1800s
Rajput and Mughal court paintings show royal Holi parties with music, flowers and coloured water.
1900s
Holi songs in films carry the festival's joy to every corner of India and to families abroad.
Today
Holi is celebrated around the world, and herbal colours made from flowers are growing in popularity.

How it is celebrated in different places

Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana
Celebrations last over a week, with Lathmar Holi in Barsana, flower Holi in temples and colour clouds over the lanes.
West Bengal and Odisha
Dol Jatra or Basanta Utsav brings Radha and Krishna out in swings, with songs and gentle colours.
Punjab
Sikhs mark Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib the day after Holi, with displays of martial skill and community meals.
Nepal
Holi is a national holiday, with colour play in Kathmandu Durbar Square and music in the streets.
Suriname, Guyana and the Caribbean
Phagwah is a public holiday, celebrated with chowtal songs and colour play by families of Indian descent.

Holi moments

An old painting of Radha and Krishna with women spraying coloured water in a palace courtyard — Radha and Krishna playing Holi, as painted long ago

Bowls heaped with bright blue, orange and green colour powder — Gulal, the coloured powder, piled high at the market

A jet of white water and colour sprayed over a packed temple courtyard — Coloured water sprayed across a temple full of peopleUttar Pradesh, India

A crowd covered in pink colour with a pink cloud rising above — A crowd lost in pink colourUttar Pradesh, India

A packed crowd covered in orange colour, seen from above — Holi crowds in the lanes of MathuraMathura, Uttar Pradesh

Trays of white and yellow milk sweets in a sweet shop — Sweets for Holi visitsIndia

Holi today

The evening before, people gather around the Holika bonfire to pray and walk around it. The next day begins with colours, water balloons and music, and ends with a bath, new clothes and visits to friends with gujiya, thandai and other sweets.

How people celebrate Holi

Holika Dahan bonfire the night before
Playing with gulal and coloured water
Touching elders' feet with a pinch of colour
Gujiya, puran poli, malpua and thandai
Dhol, folk songs and dancing in the lanes
Visiting friends and neighbours with sweets
Dol Jatra swing for Radha and Krishna in Bengal

How to wish well

Send wishes on the evening of Holika Dahan or early on Holi morning, before the colours begin.
For elders, a respectful wish with Radha Krishna blessings works best. Friends love a funny one.
For colleagues and customers, keep it short, bright and safe: "Wishing you a colourful Holi."
Not everyone plays with colours. A wish about spring, sweets and joy suits everyone.
Remind kids to use dry, skin-safe colours and to keep them away from eyes.

Questions about Holi

When is Holi 2026?

Holi, the colour day, is on 4 March 2026, with Holika Dahan on the evening of 3 March.

When is Holi 2027?

Holi in 2027 is on 22 March, with Holika Dahan on the evening before.

What do you say on Holi?

Say "Happy Holi". In Hindi people say "Holi ki hardik shubhkamnayein", and with friends "Bura na mano, Holi hai", which means "Do not mind, it is Holi".

Why is Holi celebrated?

Holi celebrates the victory of good over evil, from the story of Prahlad and Holika, the love of Radha and Krishna, and the arrival of spring.

How many days is Holi?

Holi is mainly two days: Holika Dahan on the full moon night and Rangwali Holi the next day. In Braj, Mathura and Vrindavan it runs for more than a week.

What is the difference between Holi and Holika Dahan?

Holika Dahan is the bonfire on the evening of the full moon. Holi, also called Dhulandi, is the next day, when people play with colours.

What food is made on Holi?

Gujiya is the best known Holi sweet. Families also make puran poli, malpua, dahi vada, namak pare and thandai.

What is Holi called in other places?

It is Dol Jatra or Basanta Utsav in Bengal, Rangpanchami in Maharashtra, Dhuleti in Gujarat and Phagwah in the Caribbean and Suriname.