Many of us associate Holi with brightness but the story of Holi first begins with darkness. Here’s how the age old story of Choti Holi is relevant even today.

Choti Holi, also know as Holika Dahan is celebrated by burning a bonfire the night before Holi. The fire burnt on the eve of Holi signifies the victory of good over evil, happiness over grief and devotion to do the right thing. This is one of the stories of how it got started:⁣⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣⁣There was once an evil king named Hiranyakashyap who insisted everyone worship him and anyone who disobeyed his rule would be punished. His son Prahlad was a believer in Lord Vishnu and continued to disobey his father by staying devoted to God. The King couldn’t tolerate his son’s devotion and called his sister Holika to kill Prahlad. Holika had a divine gift that fire could not burn her so she suggested that she would sit with Prahlad in a fire. When it was time and Prahlad was asked to sit with Holika he began to chant God’s name. The kingdom watched as the fire consumed the evil Holika while Prahlad was saved due to his pure love of God and devotion to do good. ⁣⁣⁣

Significance

How this applies in modern times: In life people will push you to do bad/wrong things, do good anyway. Your faith will be tested, stay faithful anyway. People will question your beliefs, keep on believing. There may be hardships along the way but God knows how you can handle it. In the end, doing the right thing and standing up for the greater good always pays off. ⁣

⁣Choti Holi/Holika Dahan is said to be symbolic of burning all the bad and evil things, which is why a bonfire is lit. The heat from the fire also depicts that winter is behind and the hot summer days are ahead.

How to celebrate

While having a large bonfire on the eve of Holi isn’t always possible, here a ways you can celebrate Choti Holi at home and pay homage to the stories and lessons the festival represents.

Have your own mini bonfire. All you need is an aluminum tray, dry sticks, scrape paper and matches. Make a little bonfire outside (always keep a bucket of water nearby in case of an emergency). As the fire burns say a family prayer for all the bad in your life to go away and a wish to attract only the good.

How do you celebrate Choti Holi?