Holi, probably the most colourful South Asian festival, marks the end of winter and arrival of spring. Every year in March, thousands gather across India, smearing each other's faces with colours to celebrate Holi. Special drinks and sweets are made for the occasion, including the notorious "Bhaang," a sweet drink made from cannabis buds. Like other South Asian festivals, Holi also comes with numerous origin stories, each bearing a regional variety.
In the east of India, Holi is known as "Dol" and is associated with legends of the lover duo, Radha and Krishna. The colours used for "Dol" are usually powdered, whereas in northern India, Holi is celebrated with both powdered and liquid colours, and is often referred to as "Holika" or "Dhuleti." (Also Read: Hajj 2022: Date, history, significance of Muslims pilgrimage and Day of Arafah)
'Desi' Holi and the 'other'
In Germany, where approximately 171,000 Indians currently live, two kinds of Holi celebrations are available for people to participate in.
The first is the "desi," or typically South Asian, Holi which follows the Hindu calendar and is organised in March. These events are mainly organised and attended by South Asians, where regional food, music and colours are compulsory inclusions.
The Indische Gemeinde Düsseldorf e.V. is one of the diaspora associations that regularly organizes South Asian festivals like Durga Puja or Diwali in Germany.
According to one of their members, Arpan Ghosh, "despite March being a colder month in Germany, as compared to India, we try to organize Holi during that time, in a limited format, so that our children can feel the essence of Indian culture. There isn't an element of profit behind that."
But the second, "Germanized" version of Holi is more popular among the Germans and is today one of the most sought-after summer parties in the country.
What is a 'Germanized' Holi?
Pioneering the entry of Holi into German party calendars, entrepreneur Jasper Hellmann founded the Holi Concept GmbH in 2012, and has since been organizing Holi-themed parties across Germany in the summer.