Oh my word Holly, Holy, Holi

Holly’s parents like to immerse themselves in Holy Scriptures during the weekends. But Holly and her partner stay away from these things because they are rationalists and pragmatists. However, when she visits her Indian friends, she doesn’t mind to indulge in Holi.

Holly is an evergreen shrub with dark green prickly leaves and red berries. And, Holly is also a common proper name of girls in the West or in the households of Christian heritage. The prickly leaves of holly symbolically represent crown of thorns. When Jesus Christ was crucified he had donned the crown of thorns of holly while the red berries of the plant represented blood. Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe are the plants used in decorations during Christmas.

Holy refers to a person’s character that is morally and spiritually perfect, or to something that is held in reverence or respect; that which belongs to God or empowered or devoted to God thus held in high esteem and respect; consecrated and sacred (when a stone is consecrated, it becomes a holy image which abound across the country).

Derivatives of holy are holier and holiest (adjectives) and holiness (noun). But holism or wholism refers to a philosophical theory that certain wholes are greater than the sum of their parts; and treating of a person by taking all factors in to account rather than just the symptoms of a disease. Holy water is the water dedicated to religious occasions or blessed by a priest such as in a temple or in a church. And, we have rivers that are holy albeit polluted.

Many priests in temples give few drops of holy water to the devotees. Coconut water becomes holy water when it is offered in a temple or at the altar of god! Holy Scripture is Bible. Holy Scriptures of India is also Bhagavad Gita and Quran. Holy of holies (noun plural) refers to the most sacred spot. What is holy of holies to northerners may not be to the southerners in India though they all may be practicing Hinduism in different shades and grades.

Holier-than-thou is a colloquial expression meaning self-righteous. There are many holier-than-thou types in the society. Holi is an Indian festival of colours very popular particularly in the northern India’s Hindi Belt. Holi is a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, and also indicates to a legend from Hindu mythology. Who cares for Holi and holy spots when his or her conscious is shiny like the leaves of Holly. Beware of holy men!