Lohri is celebrated as a harvest festival in parts of many states across the country, especially Punjab and other neighboring states in northern India. This year the festival falls on Monday, January 13. Although Lohri is primarily a Punjabi festival, it is celebrated by many people across the country who light bonfires and dance to welcome longer days after the winter solstice. The festival serves as an opportunity to bring people together, spread joy and celebrate the harvest season. It is a celebration of life and people love to sing and dance around the fire, throwing peanuts, puffed rice, popcorn and rewari into the flames.
The festival marks the end of the winter sowing season and paves the way for a bountiful harvest. Devotees honor the sun god (Surya Devta) and the fire god (Agni) through prayers and offerings. Lohri symbolizes the transition to longer, warmer days, which fall just a day before Makar Sankranti.
With Lohri 2025 just around the corner, here's a look at the symbolism and meaning behind the bonfire.
Bonfires are the focus of Lohri and the celebrations revolve around it. On the day of the festival, people light huge bonfires in the harvested fields and in the front yards of houses. People gather around the rising flames, circle the campfire and throw puffed rice, popcorn and other snacks into the fire while singing popular folk songs.
Folklore of Punjab believes that the flames of the bonfire lit on the day of Lohri convey the messages and prayers of the people to the sun god to bring warmth to the planet and help crops grow. For some, the bonfire symbolically signifies bright days ahead of people's lives, while some believe that the flames carry away darkness and bring in light, signifying the triumph of good over evil.
The five most important items, which are a must during Lohri and offered to the deities, are til or sesame and items made with it, gajak or sweets made from peanuts and jaggery, moongphali or peanuts, and phuliya or popcorn.
Lohri 2025 celebrations
Lohri revolves around offering prayers and expressing gratitude to Agni (fire) and the sun god for bountiful crops. On the day of the festival, special programs are organized where people sing traditional Lohri songs, dance and interact with each other. Men and women do jhoomer, bhangra, kikli and giddha to celebrate the festival. There is also a tradition of eating “til rice” on Lohri. It is made with cane sugar, rice and sesame seeds.
People also fly kites on this day and the sky is littered with multi-colored kites like “Tukkal”, “Chhaj”, “Pari” in different sizes and shapes with Happy Lohri and Happy New Year messages.