Holy is a minimal Hugo theme for blogs that generates a clean homepage listing your posts, with responsive layout and zero CSS files thanks to the Master Styles utility framework.
What is Holy?
Holy is a simple, clean Hugo theme created by serkodev and published on GitHub. It takes Markdown content written in Hugo and outputs a static website whose homepage automatically lists every post. The theme runs on Hugo, the static site generator, and is installed as a git submodule from https://github.com/serkodev/holy.git. Holy is open source under the MIT license and ships with a live demo at hugo-holy.pages.dev. As of its GitHub metadata, the repository has 75 stars.
Key Features
- Homepage with list of posts — The main page presents all blog posts in a single list, giving visitors an immediate overview of your latest content.
- Responsive design (RWD) — The layout adapts to different screen sizes, so the site stays readable on mobile phones and tablets.
- Syntax highlighting with customizable theme — Code blocks are highlighted out of the box, and the highlighting palette can be swapped to match your site's design.
- Zero CSS files via Master Styles — Styling is handled by the Master Styles framework, which means there are no separate CSS files to modify or maintain.
- Simple git submodule installation — Add the theme to a Hugo project with one command, then run
hugo server -t holyto start a local development server. - Clean and minimal aesthetic — The theme deliberately avoids visual clutter, which suits text-focused sites like personal blogs and documentation.
- MIT license — The theme is free to use, modify, and redistribute in both personal and commercial projects.
Who should use Holy?
- Bloggers who want a fast, static blog without the overhead of a heavy theme or a complex build process.
- Hugo developers who need a bare-bones starting point for prototyping or personal projects.
- Technical writers who publish code-heavy tutorials and want syntax highlighting with an adjustable color scheme.
What can you do with Holy?
- Personal bloggers: Add your Markdown posts to a Hugo project, activate the Holy theme, and publish a clean list-based blog with zero custom CSS.
- Developers: Set up a personal portfolio or project log where each entry is a post, using the responsive layout to keep it usable on any device.
- Writers: Use the minimal typography to present long-form articles without distracting sidebars or widgets.
How does Holy work?
- Add the theme as a git submodule:
git submodule add https://github.com/serkodev/holy.git themes/holy. - Start Hugo with the theme active:
hugo server -t holy. - Write Markdown files in the content directory; they appear automatically on the homepage list.
FAQ
Is Holy free?
Yes, Holy is licensed under the MIT license, so it is free to use, modify, and distribute for personal or commercial projects. There are no paid tiers or premium features.
How do I install Holy?
Install Holy by adding it as a git submodule with git submodule add https://github.com/serkodev/holy.git themes/holy, then run hugo server -t holy to preview the site locally.
Does Holy use CSS files?
No, Holy uses the Master Styles framework (from github.com/master-co/styles) and ships with zero CSS files. All styling comes from Master Styles utility classes, which can reduce the need to write custom CSS.
What is RWD in Holy's feature list?
RWD stands for Responsive Web Design. Holy's layout automatically adapts to different screen widths, so the blog is readable on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop monitors without separate templates.
