Holi
होली
HOH-lee
Hindu spring festival of colours marking the triumph of good over evil.
Meaning & usage
Holi is celebrated by smearing and throwing brightly coloured powders (gulal) and water, accompanied by music, dance and sweets like gujiya. It usually falls on the full moon in March and signals the arrival of spring. The eve, Holika Dahan, involves a bonfire commemorating the burning of the demoness Holika. Holi is also a social leveller — the colour disguises age, class and caste for a day.
In a sentence
By noon on Holi, every shirt in the lane was streaked with pink and green.
Common spelling variants
- Hori
Holi is the canonical English spelling used in MG Mini puzzles.