It is the MOST-est fun! You will not have so much fun in any other festival; this I can pretty much guarantee.

I don't know about the word origins, but I can tell you about the festival. It is celebrated all over India (orginated in the northern parts) to herald the arrival of Spring. Everyone *must wear white (the better for the rainbow effects!) and whole communities gather on the streets or in private lawns to celebrate. It starts with the ceremonial annoiting of red powder on faces, and quickly dissolves into utterly wild contests of throwing coloured powder(any colour) and coloured water on each other. Within minutes you will be unrecognisable. The powders and the canisters for the water are readied for attack the previous day. Apart from the hand held pumps, whole barrels of coloured water are strategically placed for dunking! It is GREAT fun. The colour thowing goes on for the whole day and *anyone is fair game. And then, there is the 'bhang'....this I shall wait for Shanks to detail; he might have personal experience!!

Here's another fun factoid. There is a unique version of Hol, called Lathmar Holi, that is celebrated in some pockets in the northern parts. Lath - a bamboo rod/sticks; Mar - (MAAR)to hit. On Lathmar Holi, women gather in all their finery and come out armed with the Lath sticks. The men have wooden shields that they hold over their heads. Women on this day, are authorised to give the men a sound beating for any grievances that they might have accumulated against them over the past year. All in fun, of course. The movements of beating and shielding have evolved into a dance form. I have seen the spectacle on NatGeo.

AnnaS, you must have received a festival notice for the adjusted date for the North American Spring. Holi must be done and finished with in India by now.