Holi Festival - At Home, with Derby Grammar School

At Home, with Derby Grammar School

                 Holi Festival

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Holi – The Festival of Colour
Holi, a traditional Hindu festival which celebrates the beginning of spring – new life and love. It
commemorates the good harvests and fertile land.

It is the start of new hopes and relationship and is signified through the bursts of colour
everywhere.

The festival originates from India but is widely celebrated around the world. Some families hold
religious ceremonies but lots of families also use the festival as a time to have lots of fun! There
is dancing, singing and on one day they even throw powder paint and coloured water in the air.

Just look at the photo below – they have lots of bright colours over their hair and faces!

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When is the Holi Festival 2021?
Every year the festival celebrations take place over two days, beginning around the time of the
full moon. So, this year it will take place on Sunday 28th March and Monday 29th March.

The first evening is known as Holika Dahan. People gather around a bonfire to celebrate the
victory of good over evil. They perform religious rituals, which includes prayers that any evil inside
them is destroyed.

The following day is Holi, or Rangwali Holi. This is when the famous colourful powders are
thrown.

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The story of Holi
There are a few hindu legends surrounding Holi, but this story is the most popular.

Hiranyakashipu was a very evil king. He had powers that made him nearly invincible and he
wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship him.

He was so powerful that he started to act like a god. He punished or killed anyone who disobeyed
him and his people became very afraid of him.

Hiranyakashipu had a son called Prahlad. Prahlad did not respect his father and worshipped a
god called Vishnu instead. This made his father very angry and jealous. He plotted to kill Prahlad.

Hiranyakashyap made Prahlad jump in a well, he was unharmed, saved by Vishnu.

Hiranyakashyap tried to poison Prahlad. The poison turned to nectar in Prahlad’s mouth, thanks
again to Vishnu’s intervention.

Then, Hiranyakashya ordered that wild elephants should trample Prahlad, but he was not hurt,
because Vishnu protected him.

Next, Prahlad was put in a room with poisonous, angry snakes, but still nothing happened to him
as Vishnu protected him.

The King asked his sister Holika to help kill Prahlad. Holika wanted to help so she made a plan.

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She had a special coat that protected her from fire. She put on her magic cloak and led poor
Prahlad into a fire. Because she was using her powers for evil, her plan failed. The cloak whizzed
from her back and covered Prahlad. He was now safe!

Lord Vishnu appeared as half-man, half-lion and killed Hiranyakashyap at dusk, on his porch
steps and blessed Prahlad for his devotion.

A Holika bonfire is lit every year to remind us of the victory of good over evil. Holi is celebrated on
the day after the bonfire.

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Make Your Own Holi Festival Card
Why not send a colourful painted card to your friend or family to celebrate the Holi Festival.

Materials
    Card
    Washable paint

Fold the card in half so that your hand fits on the card. Using a paint brush, paint your hands
using lots of bright colours. Press your hands firmly down on the card – don’t move them or the
paint will smudge! You can now carefully lift your hands up and wash the paint off. Leave the card
to dry before writing your greeting inside.

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Make Your Own Holi Festival Bonfire
Attached to the pack, is a picture of a bonfire. Using playdough, can you make some bright
flames?

Materials
    Bonfire picture attached in the pack
    Playdough

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Make Your Own Holi Festival Percussion
During the Holi Festival, people love to play music and dance. Enjoy making some percussion
instruments so you can celebrate too!

Materials
    Drinks bottles with lids
    Tins with lids, such as coffee tins or cocoa tins
    Shaker ingredients, such as lentils, dried beans, sand or dried rice
    Sticky backed paper or wrapping paper (and glue)
    Stickers
    Coloured marker pens

Pour some ingredients into your bottles or tins. You don’t need much to make a good shaker.
Seal the lids with strong tape, such as duct tape. Now you can decorate your instruments. We
used sticky backed paper and patterned selotape.

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Make Your Own Coconut Ladoo

Coconut ladoo are a bright and easy Indian sweet treat to make that taste delicious!

 Prep Time                                        Cook Time
 15 minutes                                       5 minutes

Ingredients
1 ½ cups/150 grams Desiccated Coconut
½ cup/165 millimetres Condensed Milk or Condensed Coconut Milk
Sprinkles, like ‘Hundreds and Thousands’

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Instructions

Add the desiccated coconut to a frying pan over a medium heat. Warm, stirring frequently until it just
begins to brown. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add ¾ of the condensed milk to the bowl and stir until well combined. It should be slightly sticky.
Roll small pieces in your hands to they look like small balls, about the size of a golf ball.
In a small bowl, pour some sprinkles and roll each of the balls in the bowl and then lay out on
greaseproof paper.

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Happy

               Holi Festival!

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