OK, SO I DIDNT CELEBRATE HOLI WHATSOEVER... BUT HERE'S A SYNOPSIS


Celebrated all over India since ancient times, Holi's precise form and purpose display great variety. Originally, Holi was an agricultural festival celebrating the arrival of spring. This aspect still plays a significant part in the festival in the form of the colored powders: Holi is a time when man and nature alike throw off the gloom of winter and rejoice in the colors and liveliness of spring. Holi also commemorates various events in Hindu mythology, but for most Hindus it provides a temporary opportunity for Hindus to disregard social norms, indulge in merrymaking and generally "let loose."

Holi is spread out over two days (it used to be five, and in some places it is longer). The entire holiday is associated with a loosening of social restrictions normally associated with caste, sex, status and age. Holi thus bridges social gaps and brings people together: employees and employers, men and women, rich and poor, young and old. Holi is also characterized by the loosening of social norms governing polite behavior and the resulting general atmosphere of licentious merrymaking and ribald language and behavior. A common saying heard during Holi is bura na mano, Holi hai ("don't feel offended, it's Holi").
On the evening of the first day of Holi, a public bonfire is held, commemorating the burning of Holika. Traditionally, Hindu boys spend the weeks prior to Holi combing the neighborhood for any waste wood they can find for the bonfire. The fire is lit sometime between 10 PM and midnight (at the rising of the moon), not generally in an orderly fashion. Everyone gathers in the street for the event, and the air rings with shouts, catcalls, curses and general mayhem.
5 comments:
This is so cool. What fun! My kids would love this. I think I'll tell them about it and we'll have Indian Food for lunch today to celebrate too - YUMMMMMMMM!!! Maybe I'll let them have squirt guns with colored water in it to use on each other in the bath. They would love that sooo much! What are you doing to celebrate? Are your exams over? Hope you are having fun somewhere way across the world.
Oh, you did say you didn't celebrate it whatsoever - didn't you? Sorry. Is Santmat a sect of Hinduism? Just curious. I am also very curious to know more about Hinduism and Ayurveda.
yes i didnt celebrate holi... i just wasn't in the spirits...
no santmat is not a sect of hinduism...
the first saint or the person who started santmat, was saint kabir...
he was found as a baby floating on a lotus leaf....
a muslim family adopted him and he chose a hindu guru...
he was secuar saint...
he said religion is not as important as spirituality...
some ppl think santmat is a different religion alltogether...
if u read the stuff on those links, youll understand better...
oh and happy holi to you ....
and its great to hear you like indian food... and let your children get all messy and wish them a happy holi on my behalf too.
enjoy...
ayurveda is brilliant....
yoga is miraculous...
i will soon put up a link here...
sheesh...
it was notthin
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