Holi 2025 - History, Significance, Legends, and What It Means for Your Zodiac Sign

The most awaited festival, festival of colors HOLI is here, so we thought of sharing some exciting facts, history, and significance of this colorful festival with you all, also we are going to share that what Holi 2025 will bring for the people fall in 12 sign of the zodiac.

Holi, known as the ‘festival of colors’ is celebrated on the full moon day falling in the month of Phalguna (Feb-Mar). Therefore, various colors and water are thrown on each other, amidst loud music, drums etc to celebrate Holi.

Similar to many other festivals in India, Holi also signifies a victory of good over evil. As per ancient mythology, there is a legend of King Hiranyakashipu with who Holi is associated.

History Behind Holi Celebration

The word “Holi” originates from”Holika“, the evil sister of demon king Hiranyakashipu, he was a king in ancient India. As per the Hindu Mythology, he wanted to take revenge for the death of his younger brother who was killed by Lord Vishnu. So to gain power, the king prayed for years.

He was finally granted a boon, that made him virtually indestructible. But with this Hiranyakashipu started considering himself God and asked his people to worship him like God. However, the cruel king has a young son named Prahalad, who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Prahalad had never obeyed his father’s order and kept on worshiping Lord Vishnu.

The King was hard-hearted and decided to kill his own son because he refused to worship him. He asked his sister ‘Holika’, who was immune to fire, to sit on a pyre of fire with Prahalad in her lap. As a result, they plan to burn Prahalad. 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 as he was reciting the name of Lord Vishnu throughout. As a result, Holika burned. However, Prahlada survived. Vishnu appeared and killed Hiranyakashipu. The defeat of Holika signifies the victory of good over evil.

After this, Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu. But it is actually the death of Holika that is associated with Holi. Because of this, in some states of India like Bihar, a pyre in the form of a bonfire is lit on the day before Holi to remember the death of evil.

Holi Celebration- Tale of Ogress Pootana

It is also said that Holi is the celebration of the death of Ogress Pootana who tried to kill infant, Krishna by feeding poisonous milk to it. Another legend of Holi which is extremely popular in Southern India is that of Lord Shiva and Kamadeva.

According to the legend, people in the south celebrate the sacrifice of Lord of Passion Kaamadeva who risked his life to revoke Lord Shiva from meditation and save the world. Also, popular is the legend of Ogress Dhundhi who used to trouble children in the kingdom of Raghu and was ultimately chased away by the pranks of the children on the day of Holi.

Origin Of Holi Festival

This dates back to the period of Lord Krishna. It is believed that Lord Krishna used to celebrate Holi with colors and hence popularized the same. He used to play Holi with his friends at Vrindavan and Gokul.

That is why till date Holi celebrations at Vrindavan are unmatched. Holi is a spring festival to say goodbye to winters. In some parts, the celebrations are also associated with spring harvest.

Farmers after seeing their stores being refilled with new crops celebrate Holi as a part of their happiness. Because of this, Holi is also known as ‘Vasant Mahotsava’ and ‘Kama Mahotsava’.

Holi colors used to be made from flowers of ‘tesu’ or ‘palash’ tree and known as gulal. The colors used to be very good for skin as no chemicals were used to make these. But amidst of all definitions of festivals, the definition of colors for sure have changed with time.

Today people have started using harsh colors made from chemicals. Even fast colors are used to play Holi, which is bad and that is why many people avoid celebrating this festival. We should enjoy this age-old festival with the true spirit of festivity.

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