What is all the festival of colours fuss about? For those of our readers who have never heard about or associate it only with the pictures of young people covered in bright colours who party around Europe and the USA, yes, it is exactly what its name and advertising suggest – an open-air festive gathering of predominately teenagers with load music and coloured powder.
The festival, which is gathering immense popularity in Europe in the last years, is actually a successful marketing concept. A German, Berlin-based company owns the rights and operates all the events since 2012, when the first festival was held in the grounds of an old train station in Berlin to gather 2 500 participants. Later that year followed Munich, Hannover and Dresden and next year the festival went global hitting 3 continents and 7 different countries.
According to the organisers, the festival follows a certain procedure at every location held, starting at around noon on a given Saturday (this year’s Berlin festival took place on Sunday, 26th July, the venue was moved from Saturday to Sunday officially due to the bad weather conditions, but most likely not to commercially interfere with Zug der Liebe (Train of Love) – a Love Parade inspired event held on Saturday) with warm-up DJs and performer showcasts. The culmination comes at around 3p.m with the first simultaneous colour throw of the day (participants can bring their own colour powder or buy such at the festival) which is then repeated on every next hour until the end at 10p.m. The festive mood is backed up by a large variety of food, drinks and thematic merchandise.
Do not fail thinking that the organisers came up with the bright idea, as it has been inspired by an actual major Hindus festival – Holi.
Holi, also known as the festival of colours or festival of love is a religious festivity, primary originating from India, and taking place to welcome the coming spring which will brightly colour the nature (the dates vary, February or March, depending on the Full Moon) and the victory of good over evil.
The name of the festivity derives from the religious myth behind it, from Holika – a Hindu demoness burnt to death with the help of God Vishnu who saved her brother and the good triumphed. Hence, Holika bonfires brighten the night before the big celebration. On the next morning the carnival of colours begins where participants chase and colour each other with dry powder and coloured water-filled balloons. The intoxicating combination of drinks, foods and partying with friends and family can go for several days.
Holi is an ancient Hindu festival, with written references describing its cultural rituals coming from 5th AD Sanskrit texts. Yet it was only in the 17th century that the British colonial staff in India got to observe the celebration.
The first written document, to mention the festival, dates back to 1622 and comes from the records of the British factory settled in Surat (the seat of a presidency of the East India Company) where expenses for buying banyans (ficus figs) at the Holi festival are described: “Holi in Indiston [Hindustan] is saint, but makes me think it was a little too hastily given. Twenty three rupees in a shash [i.e., a turban-cloth] to Jado broker; with many other needless things to increase the ….. expense, which I forbear at present to rehearse. . . .”
Nothing new under the sun – it might be a holly Holi, but also the holly Graal for merchants.
