Holi is an ancient festival that goes back at least 1,700 years. It has its roots in Hinduism, the most common religion in India.
Holi starts the night before the color war. People collect wood and build bonfires. They circle the fire, hoping for evil to be burned away.
The following day, the fun begins. Everyone crowds into the streets. Adults smear each other with bright powders called gulal [goo-LAHL]. Young people cruise around on motorbikes, armed with water guns. Kids bomb each other with balloons filled with colored water.
Where does this joyous tradition come from? According to one legend, it started with the Hindu god Krishna. He drank poison milk as a baby, which turned his skin blue. When he grew up, Krishna fell in love with a woman named Radha. He worried that she wouldn’t like his blue skin—so Radha let him color her skin too.