Holi 2027 — How Many Days Until Holi?
About Holi
Holi in India — the Festival of Colours — is one of the most vibrant and inclusive celebrations in the Hindu calendar, marking the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. Observed on the full moon day of Phalguna (typically February or March), it is celebrated most exuberantly in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.
The celebrations begin on the eve of Holi with Holika Dahan — the lighting of bonfires across neighbourhoods to commemorate the burning of the demoness Holika, who tried to kill the devout Prahlad. The following day, Rangwali Holi, people emerge into streets and open grounds to drench each other in coloured powder (gulal) and water.
In Mathura and Vrindavan — the cities most associated with Lord Krishna — Holi celebrations are extraordinary and last over a week. The Lathmar Holi of Barsana, where women playfully beat men with laths (sticks), is a centuries-old local tradition that draws tourists from around the world. In Bengal, Holi is called Dol Jatra and is celebrated with devotional songs and processions.
- Holi is most extravagantly celebrated in Mathura, Vrindavan, and Barsana in Uttar Pradesh
- Lathmar Holi at Barsana involves women symbolically beating men with sticks
- The coloured powder (gulal) was traditionally made from turmeric, neem, and flower petals
- Thandai — a spiced milk drink sometimes laced with bhang — is a traditional Holi beverage
- Holi marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring in the Hindu agricultural calendar