So, the time has come to say BYE-BYE winter season….. And how can we let it go without celebrating. Yes!!! You got right. It’s being talked about the popular festival LOHRI which is around the corner and the preparation of Lohri is full in swing. The auspicious festival of Lohri is as old as the story of Indus Valley Civilization. Well!!! There are a lot of things about Lohri which have been cited below.
Connection Between Punjab and Lohri
In Punjab, Lohri is celebrated with great pomp and show. It’s the prominent festival, which revolves all around harvest and farming. And Punjab is considered breadbasket state of India, that’s why Lohri holds great significance for this reason. Celebrating Lohri is a unique way to showcase gratitude for having good crops. January is the special month of the farmers as they wish God to have a good crop of Wheat which has been sown in October and will be harvested in the upcoming month of March or April. In January, Lohri is celebrated with the expectation of having a golden harvest this year.
How It’s celebrated
Since it’s the beginning of the end of winter, people celebrate it fires lit at night. All come to dance around the fire. Some also sing. The hand warming in the night, face-to-face chatting with friends, eating Revri, Gajak, Ground Nut, Dry Fruits and Sweets and much more is done to make this festival memorable. To have great bonfire, people start collecting twigs, cow dung, and branches before few days of approaching Lohri. During changing songs and dancing around the bonfire, there is a ritual to throw peanuts, dry fruits, revri, sugarcane etc. into the fire. On this special day, special fool like pudding of spinach, mustard leaf, khichri, Moong Daal Pakora etc., are cooked.
Lohri and the Planetary Moment
Apart from having farming, Lohri is also celebrated as the beginning of an auspicious period of Uttarayan which means Earth starts moving towards the Sun. And that’s why it’s called also the sign of ending winter season.
Lohri and its Social Significance
Festival like Lohri are celebrated not only because of harvesting or auspicious planetary moment, but they hold social significance too. For example, Lohri is incomplete without dancing/singing around the fire and you have to go along with your friends/relatives/neighbour to enjoy it. And Lohri gives us chance to erase all the conflicts if have with neighbours, relative or friend. Wish Lohri to all and spread the smile on your loved one. You get time to spend quality time with your family members, friends, relatives etc. Celebrating Lohri means take a break from day-to-day life and have fun with your loved one.
What is all about the Lohri Gifts
On this special day, people buy special Lohri gifts to wish their friends, colleagues, employer, neighbours, relatives, by giving them edible items like popcorn, Til Ka Laddo, Gajak, Chikki, Dry fruits, Revri, Mava Gajak and much more. With the changing of time, the way of celebrating Lohri has gone changed a little bit as chocolates, Greetings Cards, Lohri Special Cake has got mentioned in the list of Lohri Gifts.
How It is celebrated all across India
We all know India holds different types of culture and that’s why the way of celebrating Lohri is unique as per the area. For instance, people living in North India celebrate Lohri as Pongal, while in Bengal it’s called Makar Sankranti. Apart from it, Assam celebrates it as Magha Bihu and Tai Pongal in Kerala. Thus, we can’t say that Lohri belongs to a particular religion or region, it’s celebrated with great enthusiasm all across the India but with different names and unique ways.
So, what are you waiting for? Make this Lohri Memorable and forget all the past grievance and differences between you and your loved one. Jiyo Pal Pal wish you a very Happy Lohri to You and Your Family….
