Holi is also known as the Festival of Colours and is one of the grandest and most popular celebrations amongst Hindu people in the United States. It is not an official public holiday, but it is observed in locales with large South Asian populations.
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The Holi festival traditionally celebrates the victory of good over evil. Many Hindus believe that this holiday shows that the devotion of Hindu people can augment the power of Lord Vishnu. This celebration also honours Lord Krishna, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu.
In addition to its religious aspects, Holi also celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of spring. holiday is officially celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna of the Hindu Calendar, meaning it usually falls in March on the Gregorian Calendar.
In the US today, the large numbers of Indian immigrants in major cities is fast making the celebration of Hindu holidays like Holi much less rare than it once was.
Many people of Indian descent in the US attend “Holi meets” to celebrate the coming of warmer weather and good’s triumph over evil. They also paint their heads with colourful “tilak” pigments, exchange gifts and cards, feast on sweets and rich dishes, watch parades, and attend concerts, dance performances, and fashion shows.
Holi is especially celebrated in New York City, which has a large, colourful Holi parade each year.