This festival is celebrated on the full moon day of Falgun generally in the month of March

Holi is also celebrated as the New Year day of Vikram era

At the full moon night, the Holika is burnt with great fan and fare and the next day that is the new moon day people celebrate the new years day

On this day sweets and other delicious items of food are prepared and shared by friends and relatives

New clothes are given to the children and ladies

Red colored water is thrown and red powder (Abir) is smeared on faces as mark of love and affection

is a spring festival also known as the festival of colors, and sometimes festival of love

It is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities.

It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, and other regions of the world with significant populations of majority Hindus or people of Indian origin

The festival has, in recent times, spread in parts of Europe and North Americas as a spring celebration of love, frolic, and colors

celebrations start with a Holika bonfire on the night before Holi where people gather, sing and dance

The next morning is free for all carnival of colors, where everyone plays, chases and colors each other with dry powder and colored water, with some carrying water guns and colored water-filled balloons for their water fight

Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders

The frolic and fight with colors occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings

Groups carry drums and musical instruments, go from place to place, sing, and dance

People move and visit family, friends, and foes, first play with colors on each other, laugh and chit chat, then share Holi delicacies, food, and drinks

In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up, visit friends and family

the festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships

The festival date varies every year, per the Hindu calendar, and typically comes in March, sometimes February in the Gregorian Calendar

Holi is celebrated at the approach of vernal equinox, on the Phalguna Purnima (Full Moon)

Holi is an ancient Hindu festival with its cultural rituals

It is mentioned in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita, and by the poet Kālidāsa during the 4th-century reign of Chandragupta II

There is a symbolic legend to explain why Holi is celebrated

The word "Holi" originates from "Holika", the evil sister of demon king Hiranyakashipu

King Hiranyakashipu had earned a boon that made him virtually indestructible

The special powers blinded him, he grew arrogant, felt he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him

Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada, however, disagreed

He was and remained devoted to Vishnu

This infuriated Hiranyakashipu

He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected the boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right

Finally, Holika - Prahlada's evil aunt - tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her

Holika was wearing a cloak (shawl) that made her immune to injury from fire, while Prahlada was not

As the fire roared, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada

Holika burned, Prahlada survived

Vishnu appeared and killed Hiranyakashipu

The bonfire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, of fire that burned Holika

The day after Holika bonfire is celebrated as Holi

Holi festival has other cultural significance