Blog written by the AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) Employee Resource Group
What Is Holi?
Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is celebrated throughout India, Nepal, and various countries, especially by people who practice Hinduism. It is a spring festival where participants throw colored water and powders on one another to celebrate unity, the end of winter, new beginnings, and the start of a new season.
The exact day of the celebration changes every year because Holi falls on the last full moon during the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna. On the Western calendar, this typically occurs in March, though it can occasionally fall in February. On Holi, community members gather in the streets to celebrate, sing, dance, and throw colored powders. Each colored powder has a meaning. For example, red symbolizes love, and green represents spring and new beginnings.
Celebrate Holi at AC Library
Every library location will have Holi color powder take home kits, while supplies last. Join us at these featured events for children and families:
- Holi at Centerville Library on February 28 from 1–2 pm
- Holi Arts & Crafts for Kids at Fremont Main Library on March 3 from 4–5 pm
- Holi Craft & Activity Festival at Dublin Library on March 7 from 2–4 pm
- Holi at Union City Library on March 7 from 3-4 pm
Community Events
- Non-Stop Bhangra Holi Festival of Colors celebrates Holi in Oakland on Saturday, March 7 from 1–6 pm
eResources
You can learn more about Holi and South Asian cultures with these eResources:
- Asian Life in America: Explore and gain a deeper understanding of the Asian American experience as recorded by the news media, from the 18thcentury through today.
- Britannica School: A three-part encyclopedia with portals for elementary, middle, and high school students.
- CultureGrams: Concise cultural information on countries around the world. (Grades 3-12).
- Ethnic Diversity Source: With its curated full-text materials, Ethnic Diversity Source is essential to support the study of African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Jewish Americans, Latinx Americans, Multiracial Americans, and Native Americans, among others, with respect to their cultures, traditions, social treatment, and lived experiences.
Booklist
Alameda County Library invites everyone to learn about and celebrate Holi with these books for children. Check out with your library card.
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