Essay on Holi

Essay on Holi! Find high quality essays on ‘Holi’ especially written for kids, children and school students. These essays will also guide you to learn about the mythological background, celebrations, importance and safety measures to be taken during the festival of Holi.

Holi is also called the “festival of colors” in which people celebrate the day by throwing and splashing the colors over friends and family. It comes in the spring season of the year. It is celebrated across the country with high spirits by all people irrespective of their religion or race. It is this uniqueness about this festival that there is a need to enrich the students about the significance of this festival and the impact it has on all of us.

Keeping this in mind, we have prepared some short essays for students along with the longer versions in order to make the students aware of the importance of this festival in the cultural history of India.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 standard).

List of Essays on Holi Festival in India

Essay on Holi – 10 Lines on Holi Festival for Kids in English [Class 1] (Essay 1 – 150 Words)

Holi is a popular Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, especially in India. It is also famous as the festival of colors. The festival has got deep association with Hindu legend. However, the festival has subsequently been evolved as a secular carnival of colors and celebration of brotherhood.

The popular legend of Holi is all about honoring Lord Vishnu who killed King Hiranyakashipu in his Narasimha avatar. Holika is the evil aunt of Prahlada, the ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and the son of Hiranyakashipu who tried to kill Prahlada for worshipping Lord Vishnu and not accepting his father as a God.

The festival of Holi lasts for two days. On the first night, people light the bonfires as part of the ceremony called the Burning of Holika. On the second day, people celebrate the Holi with colors smearing and spraying at each other, singing and dancing together and relishing the sweet delicacies. The celebration symbolizes the beginning of a new relationship with oneself and others, forgetting and forgiving past mistakes.

Essay on Holi – Short Essay for Kids and Children (Essay 2 – 250 Words)

Holi is a festival of colors which is celebrated in the month of March. In Hindi calendar, it is celebrated on the last day of the month of Falgun, in the spring season and on the day of the full moon. This festival is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm and it is a festival of unity and love.

There are different legends behind the festival of Holi. One of the most common legends is about a king Hiranyakashyap and his son Prahlad. His son was devoted to god Vishnu and the level of his dedication was not accepted by the king. So, he planned to kill his own son. He asked for help from his sister Holika who had a cloak that protected her from fire. She sat in the fire with Prahlad in her lap under the cover of the cloak. Things did not go as planned as Prahlad was blessed by the god. The cloak flew over Prahlad and Holika was burnt to ashes. From one pillar, lord Narsimha emerged and killed the demon king. This resulted in celebration of Holi, the victory of good over evil.

People play with colors on the day of Holi, they eat sweets and celebrate. These bright colors represent our feelings. Children have the most fun on this festival by playing with colors, balloons filled with colored water, pichkaris and buckets full of colored water. On the day before Holi, a Holika Dahan celebration takes place. People collect wood and celebrate by singing songs around the fire from that wood pile. It is celebrated to honor the myth of burning Holika and protection of Prahlad from that fire.

Essay on Holi – Written in English (Essay 3 – 300 Words)

India is a country known to be diverse in all aspects like people talking different languages, with different religions and festivals as well. One of the colorful and enthusiastic festivals celebrated in India is the Holi festival. It is vastly celebrated in the northern states of India with friends and family, spreading love and happiness.

Holi is a festival celebrated by Hindus in the month of March, which also is an indication of the start of spring season. The main way of celebration is by spraying and throwing colors on each other and sharing sweets. There are many special sweets and other dishes spread showing the harmony among everyone.

Centuries back lived a devil lady Holika, sister of a devil Hiranyakashyap, who tried to burn Prahlad, her brother’s son, who was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Prahlad was saved from the fire and the devil lady was burnt to ashes due to her evil intention. Holi is celebrated all over by the Hindus as an indication of this victory.

The celebrations of Holi festival begins by the ritual of Holika Dahan, the day before Holi. The day of Holi will be filled with all types of colors, either water or powder, thrown at the person you see, in spite of the difference in them. For Holika Dahan, a heap of straws, sticks, cow dung cakes, etc., is made and burn them at the night of Holi.

Holi is a day for happiness and enjoyments spread among each other in form of colors, prayers, delicious food and desserts. Many Poojas are done by the family members for the betterment of their lives and to save themselves from evil.

Holi is celebrated every year at the end of Chaitra month to celebrate and remind the power of goodness to everyone, which will arise a delightful feeling inside everyone’s mind as well, and help everyone to forget all differences between them.

Essay on Holi – Facts (Essay 4 – 400 Words)

Holi is also known as the festival of colours and is one of the most celebrated Indian festival. It brings forth hues of vibrancy and people; known and unknown smear colour on each other’s faces while making hay in the sun.

The Mythological Background:

Of course like most Indian festivals, Holi too has a mythological background and there is an intricate story regarding why this festival is celebrated. Like all festivals, it celebrates the victory of good over evil and is meant to persuade people to stick to the path of righteousness.

Holi is held in different parts of the country following several customs and traditions. India being the land of diversity and cultural amalgamation brings forth a lot of different stories interwoven into one.

The Bliss of Camaraderie:

When you are enjoying holi, you should do it with an open heart. People end up engaging in all kinds of jokes and it is believed that even the worst of enemies should forget their past and envelop each other in friendly hug and truly enjoy this festival.

Different colours are thrown in the air and people sing and dance and make merry. The traditional Indian drink Bhang is also consumed at various places as it ends up giving a zing to people.

The Safety Measures:

Sadly, a lot of places people end up getting intoxicated with over consumption of bhang and they engage in foul deeds. This is why places where holi is played amidst huge crowd, police protection is offered as to ensure that such mishaps can be averted.

The Conclusion:

In short, it is important to pay reverence to each of the festivals. The books of mythology all teach us one important lesson which is the victory of good over evil. It is important to be good and do good as this sets the tone for the right course of life.

During the festival of holi, aside from enjoying to the hilt, you should understand the right lessons. Learn how to mend your mistake and do not engage in argument and stop harbouring hatred. Life is too short and we can truly infuse colour in each other’s life by sharing and spreading happiness. The true meaning of holi lies in filling someone’s life with colours of happiness because there are few things as pleasing as being the reason for someone’s joy.

So, are you all set to give the true meaning to this festival of colours and happiness? Let’s play holi!

Essay on Holi – For School Students (Class 4, 5, 6 and 7 Standard) (Essay 5 – 500 Words)

Introduction:

All over the world, India is known for its rich and varied culture. With so many festivals and celebrations going on all around the year. One such brilliant festival is Holi. Although it is a festival of Hindus, Holi is loved by all the people, regardless of their religions.

Also called the ‘festival of colors’, Holi is known for its playful nature and cheerfulness. The festival of Holi falls in the month of March or Falgun, according to the Hindu calendar, and is more popular in North India.

The Mythical Story:

Like most of the Indian festivals, Holi also has a mythological story in its core. It is about the King Hiranyakashyap and his sister Holika, who were not a believer of God. But to their annoyance, the King’s son Prahalad was a true devotee of God.

Hiranyakashyap tried all his means to change his son’s heart but nothing worked. One day, he and his sister made a plan and decided to kill Prahalad. Holika was blessed with a power that fire could not burn her.

So, she took Prahalad in her lap and sat in the fire. But Prahalad’s true devotion saved him while Holika was burnt to ashes. Since then, Hindus celebrate Holi every year to observe the victory of spiritual purity over the evils.

Celebration:

The whole celebration of Holi continues for three to four days. The day before the main Holi is known as Chhoti Holi. It is marked by the ceremony of Holika Dahan. People collect woods and start a fire at midnight.

Folklores are sung and people dance around the fire all night. The whole area is decorated with colorful strings and papers. Women collect the ashes of this fire for worship as it is considered holy.

The main Holi is played the next day. People throw colored waters at each other. Some like to paint each other’s faces with Abeer and Gulaal made with real flowers. This goes on till the late afternoon while men and women enjoy the special drink of chilled milk and dry fruits called Thandai.

Later, everyone freshens up and wears new clothes. On the occasion of Holi, there is a tradition of visiting each other in the evening and wishing ‘Happy Holi’. Friends and relatives hug each other. The guests are welcomed and pampered with lots of homemade delicacies.

Most important of them all is Gujhiya, a sweetly stuffed patty which is specially prepared before Holi. They are also served with aloo ke papad, chips, namkeens, and other sweets. All this meeting and greeting continue till the next day. For this reason, all the markets and shops remain closed.

The Hidden Message:

Holi carries a message of love and affection. A festival that blurs the differences between the religions, castes, and genders. The festival of Holi focuses on spiritual and mental cleansing. It encourages us to purify our thoughts and emotions and helps us believe that the power of good always prevails over the bad.

Essay on Holi – Introduction, Celebrations, Importance, Troubles and Conclusion (Essay 6 – 600 Words)

Introduction:

Holi is also called a “festival of colors” in which people celebrate the day by throwing and splashing the colors over friends and family. It comes in the spring season of the year.

Holi is the liveliest spiritual Hindu’s festival that is commonly celebrated in Nepal, India and other countries having Hindu inhabitants. At present, numerous Non-Hindus have also started celebrating Holi as the festival of colors and friendship.

The celebration of Holi takes place during the commencement of the spring season. The exquisiteness of the environment makes the festival more colorful.

Holi Celebrations:

The celebrations of Holi starts on the Phalgun month’s last day. Persons gather branches and hays lying on the roads at one place. During the night time, they meet over that place and ignite the fire to the massive heap of branches and hays. Most of them sing songs, dance and enjoy by playing drums nearby the fire.

The key celebration of the Holi begins on the subsequent day in which people splash color water on each other. The faces of most of the people get smeared with the color powders. Kids shower color water over the people who are passing by the streets.

The festival of Holi is happily celebrated in small towns, villages, and cities in India. It does not matter that a person is poor, rich, old or young; all of them enjoyed the festival with full cheerful mood. Holi makes people forget the community differences too.

In small villages, persons roam around with buckets full of color water while dancing and singing at full volume in a chorus. Few people also wear new clothes on this festival. During the evening, all of them visit the home of their neighbors and friends to eat delicious desserts and sweets.

Reason behind the Holi Celebration:

1. People celebrate Holi to signify the victory of good on evil. It has an important history in the olden Indian mythology.

2. Holi is also celebrated at the beginning of spring season. Some people celebrate it before the harvesting of crops.

3. It is also known as the celebration of love as people forget all the disparities and differences between each other and get colored in the same color.

4. Holi is a traditional and old festival of Hindus that shows the rich ethnic and old inheritance of the religion.

Importance of Holi:

It is one of the significant Hindu festivals in which people feel gratified while carrying out the traditional customs. Holi is a festival of happiness that provides the message of kindness and friendship. During the celebration, people forget their old fights and enjoy the occasion with full passion and love.

Indian society is divided into numerous castes and classes. But the colors of Holi eradicate the difference between poor, rich, low-caste and high caste.

Troubles during the Festival of Holi:

The below are a few troubles that happen during the celebration of Holi:

1. Few people drink alcohol and behave rowdily with the others.

2. Under the shadow of Holi’s celebrations, few people abuse females.

3. The colors use in Holi are sometimes synthetic which consist of dangerous chemicals that are unsafe for health and might cause problems in skin or eyes.

4. The synthetic colors might consist of insoluble particles of metal that might contaminate the water.

5. The usage of water balloons at the time of Holi also result in plastic pollution.

Conclusion:

Holi is a joyful festival in which when people forget all their stresses and worries. But, we should celebrate it in a decent manner without hurting the sentiments of others. Holi is a festival of joy and happiness and its real spirit must be retained always.

Essay on Holi – In India (Essay 7 – 750 Words)

India is a country where many festivals are celebrated round the year due to the different cultures which gel with each other beautifully across the country. One of such festivals is Holi. There would be hardly any person in the country who has not heard about this festival.

The festival of Holi is a Hindu festival which falls in the spring season during the month of March every year. The date of this festival is decided as per the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar which marks it on the Full moon day during the Phalgun month. It is also called as the festival of colours. It is a symbol of the victory of good over evil.

History:

There is a symbolic legend to clarify why Holi is referred to as a celebration of colours in the respect of Hindu god Vishnu and his devotee Prahlada. Lord Hiranyakashipu, as indicated by a legend found in section 7 of Bhagavata Purana, was the ruler of devilish Asuras, and had earned an aid that gave him five exceptional forces – he could not be killed by neither an individual nor a creature, neither inside nor outside, neither at day nor around evening time, neither by Astra nor by any shastra, and neither ashore nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu developed pompous, thought that he was God, and requested that everybody adore just him.

Hiranyakashipu’s very own child, Prahlada, nonetheless, oppose this idea. He was and stayed dedicated to Vishnu. This goaded Hiranyakashipu. He oppressed Prahlada to barbarous disciplines, none of which influenced the kid or his plans to do what he thought was correct. At long last, Holika, Prahlada’s shrewd close relative, deceived him into sitting on a fire with her. Holika was wearing a shroud that made her resistant to damage from the flame, while Prahlada was most certainly not.

As the fire thundered, the shroud flew from Holika and encased Prahlada, who remained safe while Holika was burnt. Vishnu, the God who shows up as a symbol to re-establish Dharma in Hindu convictions, appeared as Narasimha – half human and half lion, at nightfall (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashyapu at a doorstep (which was neither inside nor outside), put him on his lap (which was neither one of the lands, water nor air), and after that gutted and killed the ruler with his lion paws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a propelled weapon).

The Holika blaze and Holi mean the festival of the symbolic triumph of good over wickedness, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that consumed Holika.

Different Celebrations around the Country:

In Gujarat, Holi is a two-day celebration. On the night of the main day, individuals light the campfire. Individuals offer crude coconut and corn to the fire. The second day is the celebration of shading or “Dhuleti”, celebrated by sprinkling hued water and applying hues to one another. Dwarka, a beachfront city of Gujarat, observes Holi at the Dwarkadheesh sanctuary and with citywide satire and music festivities.

Barsana, a town close Mathura in the Braj locale of Uttar Pradesh, observes Lath Maar Holi in the rambling compound of the Radha Rani sanctuary. Thousands accumulate to observe the Lath Mar Holi when ladies beat up men with sticks as those on the side-lines wind up insane, sing Holi melodies and yell “Sri Radhey” or “Sri Krishna”.

Kumaoni Holi in Uttarakhand incorporates a melodic issue. It takes diverse structures, for example, the Baithki Holi, the Khari Holi and the Mahila Holi. In Baithki Holi and Khari Holi, individuals sing tunes with a pinch of tune, fun and mysticism. These tunes are basically founded on traditional ragas.

Holi is known as Phaguwa in the Bhojpuri lingo. In this area also, the legend of Holika is pervasive. On the eve of Phalgun Poornima, individuals light blazes. They put dried cow fertilizer cakes, the wood of the Araad or Redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the new gather and undesirable wood leaves in the blaze.

Lesson to be Learnt:

Holi festival teaches us the importance of good over evil. It teaches us to honour our ethics and the things with the right spirit. Moreover, it teaches us the importance of togetherness. It also teaches the art of forgiving others for their mistakes and moving ahead. It also teaches you to get rid of your evil thoughts and bring good things into your life. That is why on Holi even foes turn into friends and celebrate the festival together. What more can you ask from a festival to do to you?

Essay on Holi – Long Essay for Class 10 Students [In English] (Essay 8 – 1000 Words)

Introduction:

Holi is the most joyful and colourful Hindu festival celebrated by Indians not only in India but across the world. Holi is celebrated in the month of March every year which also indicates the beginning of spring season. There is no festival which is as joyous and energetic as the Holi festival which is celebrated in the same manner across ages and religions. Holi festival is loved by people of all religions and they all celebrate Holi as a family. This looks even more colorful than the actual colours used in the Holi festival.

The Importance of Holi Festival:

Holi is not only a festival of fun but it has great significance and story behind it. According to the Hindu mythology, there lived a King named Hiranyakashyap who had a sister named Holika and a son named Prahlad. The story goes as, Prahlad was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu which was much to the dislike of his father. The King warned and even punished Prahlad many times but Prahlad was firm in his belief. Out of anger the King ordered to kill Prahlad by making him sit on the lap of his sister Holika and then sit on fire as Holika had the boon of not getting killed by fire. But to everyone’s surprise, Holika was burned in fire and Prahlad was saved by the lord. Hindus celebrate this day of Holi as a day when evil force was defeated by God.

What Holi festival symbolizes is that good always destroys evil and people should always live with happiness and peace.

How is Holi Celebrated?

The celebrations of Holi festival start with the burning of woods and cow-dung cakes on the eve of Holi to remember the burning of Holika and this is called the Holika Dahan. Women sing traditional songs during this ceremony. This practice is followed as a tradition among Hindus since they believe that doing this will drive away all the evil forces from their houses and Holi will bring good fortune and positivity.

People celebrate Holi by throwing colours on each other. Children enjoy the best as they even sprinkle watery colours and throw balloons filled with colour water upon others. Children wait for an entire year to celebrate their favourite Holi festival. The best part is that even the adults turn as kids on the day of Holi and enjoy to the fullest leaving all inhibitions aside. The Hindus worship Lord Krishna on this day and even apply colours to his idol. Families and relatives get together on this occasion and enjoy the whole day. They sing and dance together sharing their happiness. People prepare sweets and share it with their friends and relatives.

The Indian Government has declared public holiday for Holi festival and so all the schools, colleges, offices, banks and other institutions are closed on this day. So, people celebrate the festival outside till evening and return home at night. Traditionally, the Holi festival is celebrated for five days and the closing day of the festival is called the Rang Panchami.

Why is Holi called the Festival of Colours?

There is no Holi without colours. Throwing colours upon each other is the main way of celebrating Holi. Since Holi is celebrated during the beginning of spring season, the colours symbolize the fresh harvest and fresh fruits and vegetables that are going to be harvested that season. The vibrant colours used to celebrate Holi actually welcome the spring season and nothing can boost our energy level as the bright colours. It gives so much positivity and tells us that our life should be filled with colours of happiness.

On the day of Holi, we can see colours everywhere. People walk in the roads unmindful of the colours spread on their face, hair or dress. Many offices conduct Rangoli, painting and colouring competitions on the day of Holi to add more colour to the festival. There is no apt name than calling Holi as the ‘Festival of Colours’.

What must one Avoid during Holi Festival?

Holi is a joyful festival but we need to take some care to enjoy the festival in a safe manner. The colour powders that are used during the Holi festival may have some harmful chemicals and it may hurt the skin. So, we should be careful while buying these colour powders. We should avoid buying the colour powders from the local markets which they sell for cheap prices and try to use eco-friendly colours. This awareness must be shared with our family as well as our friends and neighbours.

Since Holi is a social festival, there are some people who take advantage of it and behave in an inappropriate way with ladies. These people may get into crowded streets where the festival is celebrated and may pass bad comments or talk unparliamentary words. We can also find many drunk people who behave without any manners in public places and abuse women singing bad songs.

Many foreigners visit India during the time of Holi to experience our culture and to see the way we celebrate Holi. We should not allow some drunken people to cause shame to our country. So, along with our own safety we should also be cautious of the safety of our guests.

Having fun during Holi is good but it is also very important to be safe. Women should be careful of strangers and should not entertain them. It is safe if they play or party with people who are well-known to them. Since kids are so excited of throwing colours on others, they may end up in hurting others unintentionally. It is the duty of the parents to have an eye on what their children’s do.

Conclusion:

Every festival has a purpose. People look forward to Holi as a festival that gives joy, happiness and rejuvenates relationships. We should celebrate it in a decent way and maintain the spirit of the festival.

Holi festival is a symbol of our nation and since Holi is celebrated by everyone regardless of caste and creed, it shows to the world nations how united we are. Holi festival brings people even more closer and makes them happier.