Holi · Worksheet 1
A Fire at Night, Colors in the Morning
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1On the night before Holi, people in many Indian towns light big fires. They sing, pray, and walk around the flames. The fire tells an old story about a brave boy named Prahlad.
2Prahlad's father was a proud king, and he wanted everyone to pray to him. But Prahlad prayed only to the god Vishnu. The angry king asked his sister Holika for help, because fire could not hurt her. She sat in a fire with the boy on her lap. But in the story, Holika burned, and Prahlad was safe. So the fire means that good wins over evil.
3The next morning, the colors come out. People throw bright powder called gulal at each other. Red, yellow, green, and pink fly through the air. Children use water guns and water balloons. Friends, neighbors, and even strangers become the colors of a rainbow. Many people say Holi is also a festival of love. In old stories, the god Krishna and his friend Radha played with colors.
4In the past, all the colors came from plants. Red and orange came from the flowers of the palash tree, and yellow came from turmeric. Today, many colors are made in factories. Some of them can hurt your eyes or skin, so many families now choose natural powders.
5Later in the day, people visit family and friends. They eat sweets like gujiya and drink a cold milk drink called thandai. Holi is also a day to forgive. People who had a fight may laugh together and start again. Holi comes at the end of winter, and it welcomes spring with every color in the world.
- bonfire たき火（屋外の大きな火）
- flame 炎
- brave 勇敢な
- proud 思い上がった、誇りに思う
- evil 悪
- powder 粉
- stranger 知らない人
- turmeric ターメリック、ウコン
- factory 工場
- natural 天然の、自然の
- forgive 許す
- welcome 迎える、歓迎する