According to the
Huffington Post Religion, an American online news aggregation and blog site, Holi (also
known as Dol Jatra
and Basantotsav) is the Hindu festival of colors. It is celebrated at the "end of
the winter season, on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna." In 2015, the festival will be celebrated on March 6th by Hindus all over the world. Holi celebrations begin
on the eve of the festival with bonfires and prayers. On the day of Holi, people throw colored powder
and liquids at each other.
Holi Festival
Holi celebrations are somewhat rebellious in India. The Huffington
Post Religion stated colored water and powder is shot and people are dunked into
muddy water. Many people consume bhang, an intoxicating drink made from the cannabis plant. People of all
ages, genders, castes, and wealth get together to celebrate the festival. According to the
Huffington Post Religion one can get away with almost any kind of
behavior on the day of Holi by saying "bura na mano holi hai," or, "don't mind, it is
Holi." However, this is also a time
for family members to “get together, give gifts, eat special foods and decorate
their homes.”
Bhang
http://myheartbeets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/bhang-sardai.jpg
The British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a UK-based international public-service
broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House, stated that the legend of Holi
began when there was a king who sent the witch called Holika to kill his son. After several times, she finally tried to
burn him in a pyre. But, evil Holika's
immunity to fire was reversed by the Gods and she perished instead. To remember this victory, bonfires are burned on eve before the festival. It is also a time to
indulge in fun, feasting and shaking off the dark winter months.
Holi Festival
http://www.festivalofcolorsusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mainphoto1.jpg
Families
exchange sticky sweets, while traditional and special dishes are given the Holi
celebration touch by putting fresh flavors and colors to give liveliness.
According
to BBC, some foods associated with the Holi celebration are:
Sweet saffron rice: a sweetened rice colored with saffron to give it a caramelized golden glow.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/66590000/jpg/_66590580_p1010273.jpg
Gujiyas: pastries shaped
like Corn that have a surprising sweet, jelly-like center.
http://www.ndtv.com/cooks/images/marut-sikka-gujiya_med.jpg
Kachoris: deep fried pastries hot with chutney.
http://www.motherszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Matar-Kachori.jpg
Multi-colored
super-rich sweets made of milk, sugar, condensed milk and sometimes chocolate
are given as gifts.
Return
next week for another exciting blog about a holiday and related recipes!
Works Cited
Hafiz, Y. The Huffington Post Religion. (2014, March
16). Holi 2014: Festival Of Colors Celebrates Spring (SONGS, PHOTOS). The Huffington Post. Retrieved February
9, 2015.
BBC Staff. BBC News: Food: Knowledge & Learning
Beta. Holi: The sweet and [colorful] taste of spring. BBC. (2013, March 27). Retrieved February 9, 2015.
holika dahan 2020
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