The beauty of exploring different cultures resides deeps inside the diverse customs, rituals, and festivals. If you are an explorer by heart and have already explored Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos, the Songkran Festival of Thailand, or Japan’s Obon Festival, then I invite you to India and enjoy the Holi Festival.
But what is Holi, though?
In terms of festivals, India has kept the colours and light to itself. While Diwali adorns the country with lights, Holi is all about colours. It is a festival colour and India calls and welcomes you with open arms in celebration of this auspicious event.
If you want to explore India, doing so during the time of Holi could be a great decision. This article should help you experience Holi in India in the best way possible. But first, let me help you learn about Holi Festival in brief.
What Is Holi Festival? The Origin Of The Holi Spirit
Holi is deeply rooted in Indian culture and signifies the destruction of the Demoness named Holika. This celebration signifies the triumph of good over evil. Indians celebrate Holi in the month of Phalguna, which is during March or later in February. According to the Hindu calendar, they celebrate the festival on the day after the full moon.
While Holi is a Hindu festival, it has expanded throughout India. People from different cultures and religions take part in the singing, dancing, and festival of colour. People come out on the streets with coloured powders and through them at each other.
Holi also signifies the throwing away of the worries of the winter and welcoming the spirit of winter. The Holi festival in 2023 is on the 7th and 8th of March. So, if you want to celebrate Holi in India, you have to stay here on these days.
Places To Celebrate Holi Festival In India In 2023:
Holi brings colours, and the colours of the Holi festival bring out the jolly spirits of the Indian people. The festival showcases peak-level colour fights in the northern part of the country. Jaipur and other places of Rajasthan.
If you want to explore the country’s old traditions of the Holi festival, spend your Holi days in Vrindavan, Mathura, and Varanasi. The reals spirit of Holi is visible in the streets and in the local celebrations, so, you can also witness Holi on some unknown streets in India and see people laughing, dancing, and throwing colours at each other. Here are some great places to spend Holi In India –
The Root Of Holi Festival: Mathura & Vrindavan
The root of Holi and the traditional celebration of the festival holi is still kept alive in Mathura & Vrindavan. This is the best place for a photogenic festival that you can save memories of. The traditional Holi Parades, most importantly, Lathmar Holi, where women chase men and beat them using Lathi (sticks). The men use shields to defend themselves when women beat them.
This is said to be the enactment of Lord Krishna being chased and beaten by his consort Radha, whom Lord Krishna used to tease. The best place to be in Holi in India is, without a doubt, Mathura and Vrindavan if you want to experience the traditional spirit of the festival.
Holi In Varanasi; The Spiritual Celebration Of Holi
Varanasi people have a two-days celebration of Holi. Holika Dahan and Holi fights are the two different parts of the celebration. During Holika Dahan, they light a bonfire and play with coloured powders is the celebration of Holi in Varanasi. The Celebration of Holi usually takes place in the ghats (river steps).
Varanasi also has the tradition where people rub ubtan herbal paste on their bodies and pray to god for Good luck.
Royal Holi Celebration In Udaipur
The royal celebration of the Holi Festival in Udaipur unifies royal luxury with the traditional festival. They have a very luxurious setting for Holika Dahan and colour fights in Udaipur. The Mewar royal family perform the rituals of Holi and take the beautifully decorated camels to the Manek Chawk palace for Holika Dahan and the celebration of colours.
Celebrate The Holi Festival In The Pink City Of Jaipur
Jaipur, the pink city of India, is the best place to celebrate the Holi Festival in India. The palaces and the streets of Jaipur are all decked up on the day of Holi. The two days of Holi make the whole city of Jaipur come alive.
The streets and homes are decorated and splashed with colours. This gives you the perfect opportunity to spend this great festival with the locals on the streets of Jaipur. But, if you care for the main attraction – the celebration of Holi at Govind Dev Ji Temple – then you are in for a treat. The celebration here lasts for a week.
Holi Celebration In Delhi
Holi spirit is quite intense in Delhi. You cannot go out in the streets and return without Holi being thrown at you. It is the festival of the people, and Delhi people want to make you a part of it.
Also, you can take part in the Holi Moo paid festival, where you get to experience shows from 40 Indian and International performers. Also, they serve toxin-free colours, street foods, and a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Here are some queries people usually have regarding spending Holi India. I have answered them so that you don’t have any further issues and queries.
1. Why Is Holi Called The Festival Of Colours?
Ans: The Holi Festival is associated with throwing colours at each other. That is why it is called the festival of colours. However, the legend of Holi is rooted inside ancient Indian mythology. It is associated with the demon king named King Hiranyakashyap, his son Prahlad and his sister Holika. The traditional Holi starts by burning the effigy of Holika.
2. What Is Special Food For Holi?
Ans: Holi is an occasion of colours. But it is also an occasion for food as well. Some of the common food people usually have on the occasion of Holi are Papri chaat, chana masala, dahi vada, besan papdi, and Puran Poli.
3. What Are 3 Activities Used To Celebrate Holi?
Ans: Here are some different activities to celebrate Holi –
• Toothbrush Painting. • Make Organic Colors. • DIY Holi T-shirt. • Holi Puppet Show. • Make Holi Sweets. • Organize a Holi Party.
Happy Holi!
Being an Indian myself, my best way to celebrate Holi is by joining the people on the street on the day of the Holi Festival. I love the number of people has while throwing Abeer (Powder holi) at each other and eating street foods. But, if you want to have the most extravagant experience of Holi, you can check out these places during Holi in India.
I hope that I was any help. But if you need any further answers, just let us know in the comment. We indulge your curiosity, and we are only minutes away.
Ankita Tripathy loves to write about food and the Hallyu Wave in particular. During her free time, she enjoys looking at the sky or reading books while sipping a cup of hot coffee. Her favourite niches are food, music, lifestyle, travel, and Korean Pop music and drama.
How do you get a gift for a man who loves nothing more than climbing a mountain and rambling in the wilderness? After all, unless you are exceedingly wealthy, you can exactly buy them a forest.
Luckily, for friends, partners, or family members of these chaps who love Bear Grylls, there are many affordable and handy gifts that you can get for them, which will also be a boon for them on their next trip outside.
Plus, while you may need to adapt these for different types of terrain, there are some staples of an outdoor kit that will make any outdoorsman smile.
Ferro Rod
Most people would take a lighter with them when they venture outdoors, but not an outdoorsman.
However, there is a tool you can buy which will help him to build a fire, and indeed, some of the best gifts for an outdoorsman are those which allow them to replicate bush crafts. At the top of any bushcraft, the tool list is a Ferro rod. This is a lightweight, easily transportable fire-starting tool, which will certainly come in handy when camping.
Hardy Belt
There is a range of belts designed for wear outdoors, although it can be hard to discern the quality of one type from another. Ideally, you will want to gift a belt that can hold weight, such as water carriers, will not break, and is waterproof. So, aim for something like a lizard tail belt.
Knife or Multi-Tool
Much on the same list of replicating bushcraft, if you want to get the perfect gift for the outdoorsman in your life, you will look into getting them a high-quality knife or multi-tool. The reason these 2 gifts are put together is that part of a multi-tool is usually a knife.
This will need to be hardy so that it can cut through wood and can be used (if necessary) to hunt. So, be sure to get a multi-tool and/or knife that are highly recommended for outdoor activities. Try to ensure that they are also water and weatherproof too.
Water Purification Devices (or Tablets)
Now, this is a gift that can be great for a family camping trip or pure survival mode.
When hiking in the woods or up the side of a mountain, thirst is going to set in. Should the worst come to worst, and the canteen becomes damaged (or lost), your outdoorsman will need a way to purify water that they may find in a puddle or a pond.
Water purification devices allow dirty, contaminated water to be cleaned, making it viable to drink. If push comes to shove, you can also invest in some water purification tablets too.
Sleeping Mat
If you have ever been out in the woods or have been camping without being prepared, you will know how uncomfortable the ground is. That’s why it will be a welcome gift to any outdoorsman if you get them a sleeping mat. These are usually made of waterproof foam and are rollable, so they can be carried in a backpack. Great.
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Non-alcoholic parties are not something that will tickle everyone’s boat. In fact, there will be some who might bat an eye or even be heavily judgemental to see an adult party without alcohol. However, there is no hard and fast rule to serve alcohol at every adult party. After all, no one really made it a norm.
In fact, there are many reasons why someone would prefer to host a non-alcoholic sober party. Either they are health conscious, or maybe they do not want the ruckus that one often welcomes with people heavily under the influence. For example, excessive consumption of cocaine ultimately makes a person addicted, and he has to start looking for cocaine overdose treatment.
Someone could be suffering from an alcohol addiction, and they wish to quit. Or, someone might have just recovered and tried to stay away from triggers while socializing for the first time.
Therefore, in this excerpt below, we will be bringing some of the well-known ways to host a sober party, a full guide for sober party hosts.
What Is A Non-Alcoholic Party
A non-alcoholic party, as the name suggests, is when you are not serving alcoholic beverages at your party. This means there is no substance in the party that can make anyone lightheaded and compromise their motor movements.
A party where everyone is enjoying themselves with all their cognitive skills intact. This also prevents unnecessary anticipation of arguments. Since among a bunch of people under the influence, it is not that inevitable. In fact, it happens more often than not.
This is just to scratch the surface of the benefits of a sober party. We are yet to mention the amazing health benefits when you make a habit of attending such parties. No one can influence or enable you to “take sips” when you are trying to quit.
How To Host A Non-Alcoholic Party
Now coming to a guide for the hostess with the mostess. After all, you have to be prepared for the comments. However, this is not a cry for help to convince everyone to stop drinking but to get your guests excited about this new change of events.
Here is how you can host a much better non-alcoholic party than its alternative.
1. Find Amazing Food
Amazing food can distract almost everyone from everything. For example, when it comes to alcohol, it is also finger food which people are also excited about. If you do not have good finger food with your mocktails, then the attendees certainly have something to complain about.
So, fill your buffet with sweets and savories. From entrees to fulfilling meals, good food can promote the stimulation of feel-good hormones like dopamine.
Dopamine is a big reason why many people drink. If they get the same mood uplifting from good food, alcohol might just skip their mind.
2. Try Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Non-alcoholic drinks are not the same as mocktails. Certainly, mocktails are delicious; they are nothing as good as non-alcoholic beers or wine. They will give your attendees something new to try and also keep them rehydrated throughout.
Plus, these non-alcoholic beverages do have the smell and taste of normal alcoholic beverages (without the toxic ethanol, of course). Thus, it strikes an olfactory memory which induces the stimulation of dopamine.
Your guests will love the deliciousness of these beverages without the ick of alcohol. Plus, you can also make mind-blowing cocktails like non-alcoholic margaritas with premium quality syrups. Finding better alternatives can always change the game!
3. Make Your Guests Aware
You cannot simply call your guests and then decide to ambush them with the no alcohol rule. A good host will always make their attendees aware of certain things. For example, you will either be sending e-invites through chats or mail, or you will be calling your guests one by one.
This is your opportunity to forewarn your guest about your very ‘sober’ party. In this way, they can make an informed decision whether they wish to attend or not. It is true that not everyone is going to RSVP to the party. Although it might be a little disheartening to remember you are not here advocating anything.
Simply enjoy yourself with the guests that are there.
4. Find New Entertainment
Other than alcohol being the only icebreaker, you can have new fun games for the party. Some of the best party games which people can fully enjoy without alcohol are:
(Yes, you will need a table for this, but you can rent it).
Beer pong (Yes, it can be played without the beer).
5. Find A Party Theme
There are other ways to get people excited about a party. One of them being the anticipation of fashion. Yes, we are talking about a much-awaited theme party
Ask your guests to get dressed in their finest formal for fine dining. Or, plan for an ugly sweater competition and actually have prizes. Or, you can go a little more extravagant and plan your very first Great Gatsby theme party.
6. Keep Your Parties Small
Try not to invite too many people because this will only lead to a clash of too many opinions in the same place.
In a way, the fewer people RSVP knowing everything, the better. It will protect you from judgemental questions all through the evening about why you are not serving alcohol.
Make It Regular
Making it a regular event will automatically bring about a new normal for all the party people. They will start understanding the meaning behind ‘sober enjoyment’ and how thankful one can be when they do not have to wake up with a bad hangover the next morning.
Parties Don’t Always Need To Be Loud!
You can host small tea garden parties where the scene is more tranquil than a disco. Plus, at a winter party, there would be nothing better than a warm beverage. Something to keep the insides warm without constantly purring fire down your throat.
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Oktoberfest is officially back! People from all over the world resumed drinking, singing, eating, and celebrating in Munich this year.
Days of joy are here again. Indeed, the world is slowly adjusting to the new normal. Today is not too early to prepare for next year’s Oktoberfest.
To prepare, you need to be aware that there are some things to avoid at Oktoberfest and some things to enjoy fully! Read on, learn, and get ready for your Oktoberfest holiday!
The History Of Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest has been around for over two hundred years. The very first Oktoberfest was celebrated in 1810. It was not originally a beer festival. The very first Oktoberfest is a celebration of the marriage of the prince of Bavaria, King Louis, and Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, the German princess.
To this day, the ground where Oktoberfest is celebrated is called Theresienwiese in honor of Princess Therese. If you are in Munich, only searching with the Oktoberfest near me will give you the directions to reaching the festival destination place.
The celebration was enjoyed by many, so they decided to make it an annual event. It was in the late 19th century that beer and sausages were served. It was then that it slowly became a beer festival.
Years of serving good beer at large amounts for days, combined with good food and non-stop merrymaking, made Oktoberfest the biggest beer festival in the world. So big that it draws in an average of 6 million visitors every year. This year, despite two years of cancellation, it still drew a whopping number of 5.7 million guests.
The Main Attraction: Oktoberfest Beer
If there is one thing, though, that Oktoberfest is truly known for, it would have to be its beer. Oktoberfest is the legendary festival that it is because it is the only beer festival that can serve over 7 million liters of beer effortlessly.
And not just that, it can also serve over 95,000 liters of wine. This is why people from all over the world know that Oktoberfest always offers a good time.
Oktoberfest can serve millions of liters of beer because it has a specialized system. For one, only beer from Munich breweries can be served during the festival. And not just any Munich brewery.
These are breweries that are exclusively approved by the government: Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Spaten, and Paulaner. These breweries begin their preparation as early as March.
Beer And Oktoberfest Outfit A Perfect Snap Each beer served by the exclusive six breweries passes the Reinheitsgebot, which requires a beer to have a minimum of 13.5% Stammwürze or around 6% alcohol. The beer must also pass the purity test. The purity test requires that a beer is only made of barley, water, yeast, hops, cane sugar, and/or wheat malt. All beer is also only brewed within Munich’s city limits. This strict protocol makes Oktoberfest beer sought-after and extra special.
Oktoberfest Food
Oktoberfest is the grand festival that is not only because of beer but because of the food that it serves. People from all over the world go to Munich and celebrate Oktoberfest because it’s the fun, dedicated period where they can enjoy delicious and hearty Bavarian foods with premium Munich beer!
The foods of Oktoberfest Cleveland that you should definitely check out during the festivities are as follows:
Pork Schnitzel
Spaetzle
German Potato Salad
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Lebkuchen
Lemon Spezi
Potato Pancakes
Traditional German Rotkohl
Bratwurst and Sauerkraut with Apples and Onions
Oktoberfest DOs And DON’Ts
To ensure that you enjoy Oktoberfest in the best ways possible, please do not do the following:
Never stand on tables. This will be the easiest way to get the attention of security guards. This will also be the easiest way to get dragged out of tents if you’d be totally chaotic.
Do not expect change. Tents are hectic. All excess payments are deemed as tips.
Do not opt for cute-looking gingerbread hearts if you want something sweet. Look for a Kaiserschmarrn instead.
Don’t put off booking. Hotels can get full easily as Oktoberfest tends to millions of visitors.
Don’t get shocked when you see people snort stuff. Tobacco sniffing is common in Bavaria.
Do not bring your own car. Parking will be a nightmare. Looking for a place to park will take too much of your time when you can enjoy partying instead. It’s best if you would book a place that will allow you to walk to and from tents and festival venues.
Do not wear Halloween costume versions of Lederhosen and Dirndls. The Oktoberfest costume is pretty orthodox, and pretty so it will always be better to shift the choices rather than wearing scary Halloween dresses.
Germans take their traditional attire seriously. Paris Hilton is even forever banned from attending Oktoberfest after wearing a customized gold Dirndl to Oktoberfest.
To Maximize Oktoberfest Joy, Please Do The Following:
Do wear proper Dirndls and Lederhosen to get a better feel of the festival! It is not required at all, but it’s a chance that you shouldn’t miss. Don’t wear low-quality costume versions, though.
Do book a table. This will avoid having to experience Oktoberfest’s famous long lines.
Do eat before drinking. Enjoying your one-litre beer will be easier if you’re not hungry!
Do look for lines on side entrances. The lines there are not as long.
Do have cash with you. This will prevent having to wait in long ATM lines.
Do memorize Robbie Williams’ Angels. It will be played a lot during the festival.
Do observe historical tradition if you’d wear a dirndl. Bow place is important. Please observe the following:
Bow on front-right - you are married or taken
Bow on front-left – you are single and ready to mingle
Bow front center – you are a virgin
Bottom line: Wishing You A Happy Journey
Oktoberfest is a perfect symbol of German traditional beliefs. During the festival visits, make sure you are wearing the right clothes and the right outfits for the festival visit. Check the calendar if you are planning to visit there. What is your opinion? Are you thinking of visiting the place? Then share your opinion through the common sections.
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