Kids of all ages gather in small groups, going from house-to-house collecting jaggery candies, peanuts, sweets and even cash…Small bonfires lit throughout the every corner of the town, creating illusions of warmth in the shivering cold January dusk…. The sound of folk music resonate in every corner…
This is yet another excuse to celebrate and party, especially for the families blessed with newborns in the last year 12 months…Farmers pray for a prosperous year ahead; kids pray for tons of candy before the night ends.
January 13 marks the Lohri festival – the winter solstice, a popular celebration in north India. As the days start to get longer and the nights shrink, the festival marks the psychological fade of winter in the coming weeks.
There is so much history and so many stories behind the origin of the festival, some more plausible than others. The background, the details of bonfire rituals, the related legends and the ceremonies (including some external links) are summarized in the Lohri Wikipedia.
For the sake of comparison across the oceans, there are quite a few similarities between Lohri and the American Halloween. The both festivals relate to the harvest season; kids go door-to-door for candies in both cases; there are lots of festivities related to weather change and the solstice……
Regardless where you live, the Lohri brings another opportunity to warm up a cold winter night. With the fireplace burning at full capacity, a tableful of sweets – some sugar-free, and the folk music in the background, I wish you a prosperous year ahead, and a Happy Lohri.
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