My selfie after playing with colors and water and flowers as part of Holi celebration. Every spring, people across India and Indians around the world celebrate Holi throwing colored water and powders on one another in joyous celebration. On this one day—the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Phalguna—societal rankings such as caste, gender, age, and status are eschewed in the spirit of making merry together, and everyone is fair game to be doused with color. Holi’s traditions vary throughout the country and have their roots in Indian mythology. In many places the festival is associated with the legend of Hiranyakashipu, a demon king in ancient India. Hiranyakashipu enlisted the help of his sister, Holika, to kill his son, Prahlada, a devoted worshipper of Lord Vishnu. In an attempt to burn Prahlada, Holika sat with him on a pyre while wearing a cloak that protected her from the fire. But the cloak protected Prahlada instead, and Holika burned. Later that night Vishnu succeeded in killing Hiranyakashipu, and the episode was heralded as a triumph of good over evil. In many places in India, a large pyre is lit on the night before Holi to celebrate this occasion.

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