Moves each year, falls late February or March
Holi Phagwa: the Hindu festival of colour in Suriname
Holi Phagwa is the Hindu spring and colour festival in Suriname and a national public holiday. The date moves each year with the lunar calendar and falls in late February or March.
Check this This holiday follows a lunar calendar and moves every year. Check the exact date for your travel year before booking flights.
Holi Phagwa arrived with the Hindustani indentured labourers brought from British India from 1873. It marks the start of spring and the Hindu new year.
The evening before, the Holika is burned: a bonfire symbolising the burning away of evil. The day itself is the colour festival, when people cover each other in coloured powder (abir) and coloured water.
In Suriname it is emphatically no longer only a Hindustani festival, people join in regardless of background.
Frequently asked questions
When is Holi Phagwa in Suriname?
In late February or March, on a date that shifts each year because Holi Phagwa follows the Hindu lunar calendar. It is a national public holiday in Suriname. Check the date for your travel year before booking.
Can visitors take part in Holi Phagwa?
Yes. In Suriname Holi Phagwa is celebrated broadly and hospitably, and visitors simply join in. Wear clothes that can be ruined and protect your phone.