Countdown
How many days until Holi?
🎨 Monday, March 22, 2027
232 days until Holi
About Holi
Holi is a Hindu festival widely known as the Festival of Colors, celebrated with the throwing and smearing of colored powders and water, bonfires, music, and communal celebration. The festival symbolizes the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil, and, in some traditions, playful stories associated with the deity Krishna. Its date shifts every year because it is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, falling on the day after the full moon, or Purnima, of the month of Phalguna, and because lunisolar months do not align exactly with the solar year, an occasional leap month causes the Gregorian date to vary from year to year, generally landing somewhere in late February or March. The celebration traditionally begins the evening before the main day with the lighting of bonfires, known as Holika Dahan, symbolizing the burning away of evil, followed the next day by the exuberant, communal throwing of colored powders and water that Holi is best known for internationally. Celebrations vary considerably by region within India and among diaspora communities, with some areas known for especially elaborate or extended local traditions, and the holiday has also become popular as a cultural event in many countries beyond South Asia, sometimes adapted into standalone color-themed festivals disconnected from its religious origins. A common misconception is treating Holi as a single day of color-throwing alone; in most traditions it is actually a two-part observance, beginning with the more solemn bonfire ritual the night before and only then followed by the widely recognized colorful celebration the next morning and afternoon.
Quick facts
- Holi traditionally begins the evening before the main celebration with a bonfire ritual called Holika Dahan, a more solemn observance that precedes the well-known color-throwing the next day.
- The festival's date shifts because it follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar, falling the day after the full moon of the month of Phalguna, with an occasional leap month causing further variation.
- Holi has been adapted in many countries outside South Asia into standalone color-run or color-festival events, sometimes disconnected from its original religious and seasonal meaning.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does Holi fall on a different date each year?
- It follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar and falls the day after the full moon of the month of Phalguna, which shifts relative to the Gregorian calendar each year.
- Is Holi only about throwing colors?
- No, the color-throwing celebration is preceded the night before by a bonfire ritual called Holika Dahan, making it a two-part observance.
- How many days until Holi?
- Check the countdown above for the exact number of days remaining until the next Holi.
Upcoming Holi dates
- Mon, Mar 22, 2027 (next)
- Sat, Mar 11, 2028
- Thu, Mar 1, 2029
- Tue, Mar 19, 2030
Dates on this page are checked against public calendar sources. Spot something wrong? Let us know.