Holika Dahan: Searching for Bonfire Festival around the Worldorld

“Biological and cultural diversity are intrinsically and inextricably linked and together hold the key to sustainable development”

(From the 2010 Declaration on Bio- cultural Diversity)

As the above statement demonstrates Nature and Culture are interrelated and they are like two sides of a coin. The Culture of the Human community rooted in Time, Place, Geographical environment or atmosphere of place. Culture defines how people relate their day to day activities, their celebrations or their festivals with nature. Most of the cultural activities like Food, Clothes, Festivals, Celebration, the ways of living are designed according to Nature. So, Nature and Culture are interdependent. And culture is deeply rooted in Cosmos, Environment or Geographical context. If we look at the festivals then most of the festivals are celebrated in order to mark the seasonal changes or sometimes one or another way connected with nature or the Seasonal Cycle. 

If we look at Holika Dahan which we have celebrated recently on 28th March has deep religious importance in India. But along with religious significance there are some scientific reasons or nature connected with Holi. Holi is a popular ancient Hindu Festival also known as Festival of Love, Festival of Colors and the Festival of Spring. There are many myths and legends connected with Holi celebration. Let's just point out briefly one by one…

1. Story of King Hiranyakashipu and his Sister Holika try to kill Prahlad who is a devotee of God Vishnu. The moral behind this story is 'Victory of Good over Evil'
2. It celebrates the triumph of God Vishnu as Narsimha Narayan over Hiranyakashipu.
3. Among other Hindu sects like Shaivism and Shaktism significance of Holi is connected to the myth of Shiva Parvati and Kamdeva Rati. 

Besides religious significance Holi celebration is also connected with the seasonal Cycle. Holi is celebrated in India on the day of Falguni Purnima which is around the end of Winter and beginning of Summer. It is believed that because of winter, the atmosphere is full of bacteria which can cause some disease. So, In order to get rid of diseases people lit Bonfire which creates and circled around bonfires to keep people's health good.

Festival of Holi is also connected with Agrarian society in India. At many places in India the festival of Holi is also a celebration of agriculture, fertile land and good harvest because it is also a time of crop harvest in many states of India.

(Glimpses of Holika Dahan at Vishala Park, Bhavnagar)

So, This is basic information about Holika Dahan festival in India. Now the question arises is India is the only country which has a Bonfire Festival or many other countries worldwide celebrating this Bonfire Festival? And the obvious answer is Yes, There are many countries who celebrate the Bonfire Festival. Of course there might be some changes in ritual or pattern of celebration but the very Archetypal body of celebration is to some extent similar.

So, This blog is a part of Academic writing where Sunday Reading task was given by Professor Dilip Barad sir to explore the other Bonfire Festival which are celebrated in different countries and also find connected myth or legend or very core idea behind celebration. This blog task helps students in many ways, for example…

• Helps to cultivate their openness towards other cultures where similar practices are performed. 
• It also broadens our thinking and makes our perspective Global. 
• People became more stronger in terms of emotional susceptibility who can not be fooled easily by some religious narratives.
• This is a more logical and rational way to look at things globally because India is not the only country which contains only Great heritage and culture in India.

So, these are some of the objectives behind exploring different Bonfire Festivals celebrated around the world in different countries. So, Let's begin.

Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine's "Oniyo" - Fukuoka, Japan

Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine's 'Oniyo' festival is also known as Tsuina Fire Festival which is a kind of ceremony to drive away evil spirits. The Oniyo fire festival is much more similar to Holika Dahan in which we also find celebration in order to celebrate the winning of Good over Evil.

The Oniyo Festival has an age old tradition approximately celebrated from 1600 years. Considered as the one biggest fire festival in Japan. 

The festival celebrated in early January starts at the very night of New Year's Eve. From the seventh day of Eve at night 9 PM, 'Devil's Fire' which is guarding Daizenji Temple from 7 days transferred into six big torches which are created from Bamboo around 1 meter in diameter and 13 meter long torches containing weight around 1200 kilograms each. These torches are built and maintained by the six different neighborhood communities. After igniting these torches, it carried out around the grounds of Daizenji Tamataregu before it was put at the edge of the shrine until it got totally burnt. If the ashes of these torches fell on any Human being who carried those torches considered as good luck.

The head priest of the shrine conducts ritual purification

by using a flint to light a sacred bonfire,

illuminating the main shrine. This is an event in which worshippers pray for tranquility, national peace, rich harvests, household safety and disaster prevention.

(From 'Events in Kurume' official website)

Myth behind Oniyo Fire Festival

It is believed that the Oniyo Fire Festival has its roots in the year 368, which is the 56th year of Emperor Nintoku’s reign in Japan. He sends his ministers to find bandits who are threatening the local people. Ministers use pine torches in order to lighten the dark paths at night. At night the minister found some bandits in his way who were beheaded by the minister and later on burned their bodies. These followed by a traditional Shinto ritual on January 7th, after the second bell rang at about 9 pm. The head priest takes a flint from onie which is considered as sacred bonfire and lightens all other giant pine torches. In front of these brightly burning torches, a Shinto ritual called Hokomen-Jinji takes place, in which men duel to become the “devil”. Lasting only about 10 minutes, this ritual is said to be the origin of Oniyo. Meaning “Devil’s Night”, this word expresses the ritual of vanishing evil spirits in ancient times.

Many worshippers came to see Oniyo fire festival to pray for good harvest and health of their family which is very similar to Holika Dahan where people circled around sacred fire to pray for Good Health. 

Kakava Festival of Turkey

In the Turkish city name Edirne which is near the border of Greece and Bulgaria celebrates a Kakava festival. The Kakava festival is celebrated by Roma Community of Edirne in order to celebrate the beginning of spring. 

The Kakava festival is much more like the Hidirellez festival celebrated in Turkey and the Balkans. The festival starts on late 5th May followed by bonfire and various events like Dancing and Music playing. 

This festival firstly begins with their traditional Horse Riding competition where Youth of Roma Community show their talents and skills of riding an animal. Followed by setting up a bonfire and jumped over it. 

"People jumped over the flames for a ritual, which they believe that will protect them from "evil eye."

This tradition of Jumping over flames is much more like Indian Tradition of jumping over Holika Dahan. 

At last on Sunday Morning people moved towards Tundzha river where they cleaned up their face and clothes. And later continued by Dance and Music in the streets of Edirne. 

(River Ritual)

River ritual has another significant story in which it is believed that Baba Fengo, once a leader of Roma Community, was oppressed by the king of Egypt. In order to save his community he shifts their people to Red Sea. So, they can hide from Egyptian Soldiers. Hence, The Roma Community believes that Baba Fego will come out from the river and save them from all evil forces.

Buergbrennen – Bonfire Day

Luxembourg is a very small country bordered around Germany and France. Bonfire festival in Luxembourg also known as Buergbrennen, Faaschtefeir or Lint Festival. 

This is one of traditional festivals which is believed to have started initially as a part of pagan tradition thousands of years ago. This festival is celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent which according to Christian Calendar announces the end of winter and beginning of summer and heat.

The Brandons’ festival consists in symbolically burning winter in order to drive it away. The heat released by the pyre braves the cold and the light replaces the darkness.

Around mid-january people of Local Youth Clubs or Association started collecting the stuff to prepare buerg. They collect old christmas trees, straw, branches and pieces of wood in order to create buerg.

The preparation for the celebration starts during the afternoon. Firstly there is a creation of 'buerg' followed by a 'Torchlight Procession' and at the end lighting the fire as the night falls. Most of the time the honour of lighting is given to newly married couples. 

"The  blaze symbolises the rebirth of spring and the end of winter, the triumph of warm over cold, of light over darkness. Some claim the blaze is a symbolic reminder of the time when witches were burnt at the stake"

So, Buergbrennen is more like a Holika Dahan which is celebrated to chase away winter. And It's Symbolic significance like triumph of light over darkness is also very much similar to the Holika Dahan celebration where triumph of Goodness over Evil is celebrated.

Valborg – Walpurgis Eve of Sweden

The Swedish calendar's last day of April is known as Valborg or Walpurgis Eve. This day is the end of harsh winter and the beginning of hot summer days or Spring, which is usually greeted with songs and bonfires in Sweden. For this people assemble in one ground, set up one bonfire and celebrate it by singing traditional songs. Sir James George Frazer in The Golden Bough writes...

"The first of May is a great popular festival in the more midland and southern parts of Sweden. On the eve of the festival, huge bonfires, which should be lighted by striking two flints together, blaze on all the hills and knolls."

(Valborg celebration at Riddarholmen in Stockholm)

(Valborg bonfire at Ringsjon in Skane)

Legend behind Valborg Celebration

The tradition of lighting Bonfire on the last day of April is believed to be  associated with Saint Walpurga, an English missionary who was canonized on May 1 in the year 870. But nowadays Swedish people celebrate this festival not as a religious practice but more out of seasonal changes. 

April 30 is the last day of winter in which evil spirits were believed to be active. So, Fire is used as a tool to scare them and keep them away. Fire also keeps wild animals away. So, This Swedish Festival celebrated more as part of seasonal changes where the beginning of spring marked a new birth of livelihood.

So, Swedish still celebrate Walpurgis night which has a little to do with Saint Walpurgis, Religious Believes or with Evil Witches. But it is celebrated in order to celebrate the death of Winter and the birth of summer.

Here is one of the classic Valborg songs, “Längtan till landet,” more commonly known as “Vintern rasat.

Connection between Valborg of Sweden and

Holika of India

If we compare Holi celebration of India and Valborg celebration of Sweden then the back story behind both celebrations is much more like religious practice. Holika is celebrated to mark the burning of Evil witch Holika and Fall of Hiranyakashipu. While initially Walpurgis Eve is the driving force behind Valborg celebration in Sweden.

(Saint Walpurgis)

(King Hiranyakashipu and Holika trying to kill Prahlad)

But now people are moving towards more rationality and celebrate these festivals as more to mark seasonal changes rather than only Religious Significance. So, This is one parallel which can be drawn between lighting a bonfire in both countries.

So, These are some of the examples of How other countries also celebrate bonfire festivals which have some similarities as well as some differences with the Indian Festival of Holika Dahan. Along with some cultural or geographical significance.

I would like to conclude this blog by drawing everyone's attention towards one example of Holika celebration 2021 in India. 

Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of Delhi since November last year against the three newly enacted farm laws…

• Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection)
• Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and
• The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

The farmers, who were agitating against the new agricultural laws of the Center on the borders of Delhi, on Sunday burnt the copies of the Farmers Law on the occasion of Holika Dahan. Here, the Holika Dahan celebration is used as a tool by farmers to agitate against New derived Farm Laws. During this, Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Indian Kisan Union present on the Ghazipur border, said that the agitation against the agricultural laws will continue. Here are some pictures: (Source: India Times News)

References

Buergbrennen. 11 Feb. 2021, luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/festivals-and-traditions/buergbrennen.html.

Culture and Nature: The Two Sides of the COIN: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/culture-and-development/the-future-we-want-the-role-of-culture/the-two-sides-of-the-coin/.

Khan, Nabiha. 12 Fascinating Festivals of Fire around the World. 24 July 2020, versesbyavoyager.com/festivals-of-fire-around-the-world/#:~:text=Lohri%20in%20India,-Date%20of%20celebration&text=It%20is%20celebrated%20on%20the,sing%20and%20dance%20around%20it.

Moir, David. Top 10 Fire Festivals around the World. 2 Nov. 2012, www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKLNE8A101N20121102.

A Night of Bonfires AND Song: Celebrating VALBORGMÄSSOAFTON (Walpurgis Eve) in Sweden. 17 May 2018, realscandinavia.com/a-night-of-bonfires-and-song-celebrating-walpurgis-eve-in-sweden/.

The Oniyo Fire Festival OF Daizenji Tamataregu. 7 Jan. 2021, welcome-kurume.com/en/events/detail/b32c7ae2-9ca7-4d16-97ea-9c639bbb07be.

Sabah, Daily. A Night and Day of Feasts as Roma FESTIVAL Kakava Takes over Edirne. 7 May 2018, www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2018/05/07/a-night-and-day-of-feasts-as-roma-festival-kakava-takes-over-edirne/amp.

Singh, Bhupinder. Burning Copies of Farm Laws - This Is How the Farmers Celebrated "Holika Dahan". 29 Mar. 2021, www.indiatimes.com/news/india/burning-copies-of-farm-laws-this-is-how-the-farmers-celebrated-holika-dahan-537236.html.

Traditional and Popular Festivals in Luxembourg. 3 Feb. 2021, www.expatica.com/lu/lifestyle/holidays/festivals-in-luxembourg-103745/.

Thank You