Lohri, the harvest festival of Punjab, was celebrated in the country with much fervour on January 12. People in the northern state, famously known as the breadbasket state of India, attach a great significance to Lohri, the festival in feasts and foods. It is celebrated to mark both celebration and sharing.
Lohri prompts people to be thankful for God’s provision and to celebrate his creation, its focus on farming. In Punjab, wheat is the main winter crop, which is sown in October and harvested in March or April. In January, the fields come up with the promise of a golden harvest, and farmers celebrate Lohri during this rest period before the cutting and gathering of crops. For Punjabis, this is more than just a festival, it is also an example of a way of life.
Lohri is a festival of zeal and verve and marks the culmination of the chilly winter. In true spirit of the Punjabi culture, men and women perform Bhangra and Giddha, popular Punjabi folk dances, around a bonfire. Enthusiastic children go from house to house singing songs and people oblige them generously by giving them money and eatables as offering for the festival.
Lohri is also an auspicious occasion to celebrate a newly born baby’s or a new bride’s arrival in the family. The day ends with a traditional feast of sarson da saag and makki di roti and a dessert of rau di kheer (a dessert made of sugarcane juice and rice).
Courtesy happywink.org.
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