Holi: India's magic festival of colors - Every year India takes on throes of color with the arrival of spring. And we're not just talking about blossoming trees and baby animals. The ancient festival called Holi celebrates the new season with a tonne of partying, music, and a unique tradition that involves people throwing colored powder at each other! Want to discover the meaning behind this unique celebration of Indian culture? Click on the gallery to find out!

0 / 30 Fotos

Spring - Holi Festival takes place in India every year to celebrate the arrival of spring.

1 / 30 Fotos

Lively colors - The Holi is a Hindu celebration which is also known as the festival of colors.

2 / 30 Fotos

When? - The festival takes place on the first full moon of Phalguna, which is the name of a month in the Hindu calendar.

3 / 30 Fotos

Calendar - Phalguna generally corresponds to the months of February or March of the Gregorian calendar.

4 / 30 Fotos

Festivity - The festival's main day is called Dhulheti.

5 / 30 Fotos

Tradition - It's on this day that people throw colored powder at each other.

6 / 30 Fotos

Colorful powders - The colored powders are called Gulal.

7 / 30 Fotos

Good spring - Throughout the day people paint themselves, hug each other and wish one another a 'Holi Hai.'

8 / 30 Fotos

Just for fun? - And what looks like simple fun actually has a special meaning.

9 / 30 Fotos

Spiritual protection - According to tradition, the Gulal wards off negative energies.

10 / 30 Fotos

Triumph - The Holi festival celebrates the victory of good over evil.

11 / 30 Fotos

Ancient - According to historians, there are indications that the Holi festival dates back to before the birth of Christ.

12 / 30 Fotos

Birth - There are many legends that try to explain how the Holi festival came about.

13 / 30 Fotos

Legend: the dreaded king - One of the legends, perhaps the most popular one, tells the story of the dreaded King Hiranyakashyap.

14 / 30 Fotos

Legend: royal orders - Hiranyakashyap wanted to be worshiped by everyone in his kingdom, but Prahlad, his own son, didn't obey his command.

15 / 30 Fotos

Legend: rebellious - According to legend, the king's son was a devout follower of another divinity, called Vishnu.

16 / 30 Fotos

Legend: the king's fury - King Hiranyakashyap was furious and asked his sister Holika to help him teach his son a lesson.

17 / 30 Fotos

Legend: the king's plans - As Holika had the power to pass through fire without getting burnt, the king put a wicked plan together.

18 / 30 Fotos

Legend: Holika and the fire - The idea was for Holika to hold Prahlad in her arms and pass through the fire carrying him.

19 / 30 Fotos

Legend: the revenge - So Prahlad would be burned and Holika would survive.

20 / 30 Fotos

Legend: Holika's power - But Holika didn't know that her power wouldn't work if she went through the fire with someone else.

21 / 30 Fotos

Legend: saved - According to the legend, Holika was the one who burned to death and Prahlad was saved by Vishnu.

22 / 30 Fotos

Legend turned tradition - Because of this legend, the Holi festival begins with the traditional burning of Holika at night and the party then continues throughout the day.

23 / 30 Fotos

Celebrations - In every corner of the city the party is celebrated with music, dancing, and singing.

24 / 30 Fotos

Festivities - To add to the celebrations, there's a wide variety of Indian cuisine dishes that are served at night during Holi.

25 / 30 Fotos

Delicacy - One of these delicacies is the samosa, a type of savory snack stuffed with chicken or vegetables.

26 / 30 Fotos

Culture - But it's not only in India that Holi is celebrated.

27 / 30 Fotos

Hindu tradition - The festival also takes place in countries with strong Hindu traditions, such as Nepal.

28 / 30 Fotos

Holi festival - For those who celebrate Holi, we wish you all a very happy spring!

29 / 30 Fotos