This countdown updates live in your local timezone.
When is Holi 2028?
Holi 2028 falls on Sunday, March 12, 2028.
About Holi
Holi is a Hindu festival often called the festival of colours. It is best known for the custom of people throwing brightly coloured powder and water over one another, in streets, parks and gardens, so that everyone ends up covered in colour. Holi marks the arrival of spring and the end of winter, and it carries the theme of the victory of good over evil. The festival is linked to the story of Prahlad and the demoness Holika, and in many regions to the playful god Krishna. Holi is also a social leveller, a day when differences of age, status and background are set aside and people celebrate together.
Holi is celebrated mainly in India and Nepal and by Hindu communities around the world. It has two main parts. On the evening before the main day, a bonfire called Holika Dahan is lit, recalling the burning of the demoness Holika. The next day is Rangwali Holi, the day of colours, when the colour play takes place, along with music, dancing, sweets and special drinks. The date follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar, falling around the full moon of the month of Phalguna, so it moves each year and usually lands in March. Holi has become well known internationally, and colour-throwing events inspired by it are now held in many countries.
Frequently asked questions
What is Holi?
Holi is a Hindu festival widely known as the festival of colours. Its most famous custom is people covering one another in bright coloured powder and water in a joyful public celebration. Holi marks the arrival of spring and carries the theme of good triumphing over evil. It is also a day when social barriers are relaxed and people of all ages and backgrounds celebrate together. The festival is celebrated mainly in India and Nepal and by Hindu communities across the world.
When is Holi?
Holi falls in the Hindu lunisolar month of Phalguna, around the full moon, which usually places it in March on the Gregorian calendar. It has two days. The evening before the main festival is Holika Dahan, when bonfires are lit. The main day, when people play with colours, is the following day, called Rangwali Holi or Dhulandi. Because the festival follows a lunar calendar, the date moves each year, generally between late February and late March.
Why do people throw colours at Holi?
Throwing coloured powder and water is the signature custom of Holi and the reason it is called the festival of colours. The tradition is widely linked to the god Krishna, who in legend playfully coloured the face of Radha and the other cowherd girls, and the practice became part of the festival's celebration of love, joy and spring. Covering everyone in colour also dissolves the usual marks of status and difference, so people celebrate as equals. The colours were once made from flowers and herbs.
What is the story behind Holi?
The best-known story behind Holi is that of Prahlad and Holika. Prahlad was a devoted follower of the god Vishnu, which angered his father, a demon king. The king's sister Holika, who was thought to be immune to fire, tried to kill Prahlad by sitting with him in a blaze, but she was burned instead while Prahlad was saved. The bonfire of Holika Dahan, lit on the eve of Holi, recalls this victory of devotion and good over evil.
Is Holi a public holiday?
Holi is a public holiday in India, where it is one of the major festivals of the year, and in Nepal. It is also an official holiday in Suriname and is recognised in places with large Hindu populations, such as parts of the Caribbean. In countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States it is celebrated by Hindu and Indian communities and at public colour events but is not a national holiday. The main day of colour is the focus of the celebration.