Holi is the festival of joy & strengthening the bond of love &
friendship & getting all smeared with colors on this auspicious Spring
day. With the tradition still closely followed & practiced, so has been
the gifting custom. The popular tradition however highlights some of these
most commonly practiced gifts exchanging methods which have been coming down
since generations with a marvelous makeover.
Sweets Exchanging Practice
Sweet exchanging ceremony is considered the oldest tradition, since as per
Indian ritual, any festival commencement when sweetened with the rich Indian
confectioneries is considered lucky & prosperous. It is a common sight
on the festival eve with sweet sellers selling attractive gift packages
containing mouth watering delicacies. People make their ways to these
tempting sweet shops to purchase variety of sweets which are later gifted to
loved ones along with home made delicacies.
Garments for Married Daughters
Gifting new range of garments to married daughters is another common
practice seen on the auspicious Holi day, not to forget her entire in-laws
side who needs to be equally presented with new set of garments. As there is
a tradition of gifting "dandia", a special kind of saree, to both
the daughter & her in-laws coupled with the necessary accessories.
A lot of preparation goes into the making of this particular saree form
which is essentially a white cotton saree made of voile or 'mulmul'. The
beauty of the saree lies in its borders which are dyed with Indian pink, a
non-fast color. All four sides of the saree are gathered which are dipped in
turn into the Indian Pink, thus allowing the color to catch on the fabric at
least two to three inches on each side. Once getting spread in uneven
splendor towards the middle of the saree, the ultimate effect is that of a
gradual spreading of blush. The saree is decorated with breathtaking designs
highlighted with intricate Indian motifs. The border is adorned with gold or
silver 'gota' stitched on to the edges of the dandia while the 'pallu'
(saree portion meant for head covering) is beautified with a 'kiran' or a
fine fringe of gold or silver which adds a shimmering touch. It is an
absolute must for a newly wed bride to adorn herself with a "dandia"
saree on the Holi day.
Presents for Son-in-Laws
Son-in-laws form an integral part of the family & it is essential to
gift the daughter's husband with the best of Holi gifts as followed in some
parts of India with full devotion. It is a customary practice to present a
'pyala' (a glass of drink coupled with an amount of money) after the special
Holi meal. The daughters are in the meanwhile gifted with 'kothli' or travel
money by their mother-in-law, or the eldest lady in the family.
Gifts & Fun
Gifting & enjoying goes hand in hand on this beautiful festival of
colors which involves coming together & forgetting all ill feelings to
indulge in a day full of psychedelic color experiences. The entire day is
observed with gifts & colors, the two in separate elements which keeps
the day full with hustle & bustle. These involves the newly wedded bride
playing her first Holi at her in-laws place & indulging in naughty
pranks. She can play naughty jokes on her in-laws too by taking the help of
some family members, & thus, making her first Holi post marriage
memorable. Special Holi folk songs are yet another traditional feature of
this festival marked with fun & frolic.
Also Read
Holi Gift Ideas
