Lohri, the colorful harvest festival, will be celebrated majorly in northern India on January 13, 2025, which falls on a Monday. The festival ends the winter season and marks the start of longer days. It aligns with the Lohri Sankranti moment, which occurs at 9:03 AM on January 14, 2025. Lohri is a celebration of agricultural prosperity, family reunions, and cultural expression.
Significance of Lohri
Lohri is of great cultural and agricultural importance, especially for farmers. It marks the end of the sowing season for rabi crops like wheat, sugarcane, and mustard. Traditionally, the festival is considered a time to thank God for a good harvest and to pray for further prosperity in the next agricultural cycle. The lighting of bonfires during Lohri is a central ritual that symbolizes warmth, fertility, and auspiciousness, especially for newlyweds and newborns.
The festival is steeped in folklore, as in the case of one popular story involving a hero, Dulla Bhatti, who saved girls from being trafficked when it was prevalent during the Mughal era. His legacy continues through folk songs recounting his bravery and kindness.
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Celebrations
There are various traditions in Lohri celebrations:
Bonfire Lighting: Families gather around a sacred bonfire made of wood and cow dung cakes. Participants offer sesame seeds, jaggery, gajak-a sweet made from sesame and peanuts to the fire while performing rituals like parikrama-circulating the fire-as a sign of respect and gratitude.
Cultural Events: The festival is brought to life with traditional songs and dances like Bhangra and Gidda. These energetic performances bring joy and community bonding as people celebrate together.
Festive Foods: Special dishes are prepared during Lohri, including makki di roti (corn flatbread) served with sarson da saag (mustard greens). These traditional foods are integral to the celebrations, reflecting the agricultural roots of the festival.
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Holiday Status
Lohri is celebrated as a public holiday in most northern states of India, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. This way, families can celebrate fully without work. The next day after Lohri is Makar Sankranti, another festival of great importance that celebrates the harvest season.
Lohri is far beyond a harvest festival; it's a way to celebrate life and community and share one's culture. As the family gathers around the fire and shares local foods, it honors their agriculture background and gets stronger in bonds. With all the history attached and the liveliness of celebration, Lohri remains as a part of Indian culture.
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