Holi: The festival of COLORS

2026.02.24
Writer / 記事を書いた人
Sushant
India(インド)

Hello. I am Sushant. I am from Mumbai, India.

My hobbies are origami, reading, hiking, karaoke, badminton and bowling.
In Japan, I like to visit shrines and temples, go hiking, visit festivals and make origami with kids.

Article

Holi: The festival of COLORS

▼ 記事の音声を再生

<Let's learn!>
・the triumph of A over B
・, which ~
・while ~ing

=====================================

Hello, everyone! Today, I want to introduce a famous festival from my home country, India. It is called "Holi," and it is known as the most colorful festival in the world.
Holi is a sacred Hindu tradition that has many meanings. First, it celebrates the pure love between the gods Radha and Krishna. Second, it represents the triumph of good over evil. Finally, it marks the arrival of spring.

During the festival, people throw colored powder and water at each other to have fun together. This festival is held on the last full moon day of winter, which is usually in March. The night before Holi, people light bonfires in a ceremony called Holika Dahan. They gather around the fire, sing, and dance.

※Image1

The next day, the real "color play" begins. In the past, people used natural colors made from plants. For example, yellow comes from turmeric and red comes from flowers. These are safe for the skin and eyes.

While playing with colors, families eat special sweets. The most popular one is Gujiya, which is a sweet dumpling filled with nuts. Many people also enjoy Lassi, which is a cold milk drink with almonds and saffron.

You can experience Holi even in Japan! In Nishi-Kasai, Tokyo and Kyoto, Indian communities hold events in March. They welcome everyone with warm hospitality. If you see people celebrating Holi in a park, don’t be shy. Please go and say "Hi!" You will surely enjoy the positive energy and delicious food.

【出典】
※Imege1
By Sntshkumar750 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=161943725

日本語訳を見る

Key Points

Repeat each word(s) and example sentence(s) after your teacher/tutor.

Key Phrases 重要表現

the triumph of A over B

Bに対するAの勝利

This story shows the triumph of light over darkness.

, which ~

(…で、)そしてそれは~

I visited London, which is the capital of the UK.

while ~ing

~している間に

While walking to school, I met my friend.

Key Vocabulary 重要単語・熟語

sacred

ˈseɪ.krɪd

神聖な、聖なる

形容詞

considered to be holy and deserving respect, especially because of a connection with a god

We visited a sacred temple in Kyoto.

represent

ˌrep.rɪˈzent

表す、象徴する、意味する

動詞

to be a sign or symbol of something

Red roses usually represent love.

mark

mɑːrk

示す、記念する、印をつける

動詞

to show that something is happening or has happened

The blooming of cherry blossoms marks the arrival of spring.

Others その他

Holi

ˈhoʊ.li

ホーリー(インドの春祭り)

名詞

a Hindu spring festival celebrated in India and Nepal

We celebrated Holi with our family and friends.

Hindu

ˈhɪn.duː

ヒンドゥー教の

形容詞

belonging to or relating to the religion of Hinduism

We read a book about Hindu gods.

bonfire

ˈbɑːn.faɪr

かがり火、大たき火

名詞

a large fire that is made outside to burn unwanted things, or for pleasure

The bonfire kept everyone warm.

holika dahan

hoʊˈliːkə dəˈhɑːn

ホリカ・ダハン(ホーリー前夜の焚き火の儀式)

名詞

a ritual where a bonfire is lit on the eve of Holi

We gathered for the ceremony of Holika Dahan.

turmeric

ˈtɝː.mər.ɪk

ウコン、ターメリック

名詞

a yellow powder, used as a spice to flavor particular foods, especially curry, and give them a yellow color

She added some turmeric to the soup.

gujiya

ɡʊˈdʒiːjə

グジヤ、インドの甘い揚げ菓子

名詞

a sweet deep-fried dumpling native to the Indian subcontinent

My mother makes delicious Gujiya for the festival.

dumpling

ˈdʌmp.lɪŋ

餃子、肉入り蒸し団子、パイの生地で包んで焼いたデザート

名詞

a small ball of dough (= a mixture of flour, fat, and water) that is cooked and served with meat dishes or in soup

We cooked soup with a meat dumpling.

lassi

ˈlæs.i

ラッシー

名詞

an Indian drink made from yogurt and water, sometimes with fruit or sugar added

Many people enjoy drinking cold Lassi with curry.

saffron

ˈsæf.rən

サフラン、アヤメ科の花のめしべを用いたスパイス

名詞

a dark yellow substance obtained from a flower and used as a spice to give color and flavor to food

Saffron is carefully collected by hand.

Practice

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.

He bought a new car, (___) is very fast.

ヒント:, which~

回答を見る

He bought a new car, (which) is very fast.

The movie shows (___)(___)(___) hope (___) fear.

ヒント:the triumph of A over B

回答を見る

The movie shows (the) (triumph) (of) hope (over) fear.

(___)(___) dinner, she cut her finger.

ヒント:While ~ing,(cook)

回答を見る

(While) (cooking) dinner, she cut her finger.

Article

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your teacher/tutor.

Holi: The festival of COLORS

<Let's learn!>
・the triumph of A over B
・, which ~
・while ~ing

=====================================

Hello, everyone! Today, I want to introduce a famous festival from my home country, India. It is called "Holi," and it is known as the most colorful festival in the world.
Holi is a sacred Hindu tradition that has many meanings. First, it celebrates the pure love between the gods Radha and Krishna. Second, it represents the triumph of good over evil. Finally, it marks the arrival of spring.

During the festival, people throw colored powder and water at each other to have fun together. This festival is held on the last full moon day of winter, which is usually in March. The night before Holi, people light bonfires in a ceremony called Holika Dahan. They gather around the fire, sing, and dance.

※Image1

The next day, the real "color play" begins. In the past, people used natural colors made from plants. For example, yellow comes from turmeric and red comes from flowers. These are safe for the skin and eyes.

While playing with colors, families eat special sweets. The most popular one is Gujiya, which is a sweet dumpling filled with nuts. Many people also enjoy Lassi, which is a cold milk drink with almonds and saffron.

You can experience Holi even in Japan! In Nishi-Kasai, Tokyo and Kyoto, Indian communities hold events in March. They welcome everyone with warm hospitality. If you see people celebrating Holi in a park, don’t be shy. Please go and say "Hi!" You will surely enjoy the positive energy and delicious food.

【出典】
※Imege1
By Sntshkumar750 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=161943725

Questions

Answer the questions based on the article.

According to the text, what is Holi known as in the world?

ヒント:It is called "Holi," and it is~

回答を見る

It is known as the most colorful festival in the world.

What do people do during the ceremony called Holika Dahan?

ヒント:The night before Holi, people~.

回答を見る

They light bonfires, gather around the fire, sing, and dance.

Where in Japan can you find Indian communities holding Holi events?

ヒント:You can experience Holi even in~.

回答を見る

In Nishi-Kasai, Tokyo and Kyoto.

Discussion

Let’s have a discussion about the theme with your teacher/tutor or classmates.

With your teacher/tutor 先生とのディスカッション

Would you like to participate in Holi? And why?

Yes, I would./ No, I wouldn't. Because~.

Holi marks the "arrival of spring." How do people celebrate the arrival of spring in Japan?

Is it easy or difficult for Japanese people to join a festival and say "Hi" to new people?

I think it is~. Because~.

With your classmates クラスメートとのディスカッション

Holi has many colors, special music, and delicious food. Which part is the most interesting to you? And why?

~ is the most interesting to me because~.

Holi is known for "vibrant colors." If you join Holi, what color powder would you use?

I would use~.

Families prepare special foods like "Gujiya" for Holi. What is your favorite festival food in Japan?

My favorite festival food is~.