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How To Celebrate Lohri In 2023

You may have heard of Lohri before, celebrate the Punjabi folk festival every year, or the holiday may be completely unknown to you.

Peacock Supplies wants to educate you on these world celebrations that are not only so important to different religions but are also great celebrations to take part in yourself.

Here is everything you need to know about Lohri and how to celebrate in 2023.

 

What is Lohri?

 

Lohri is the popular winter festival celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus from the Punjab and Haryana regions of northern India. Lohri is linked to the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day with the longest night, as the festival celebrates the end of the dark and the start of the light.

The festival commemorates the end of the Winter Solstice, typically on the 13th of January each year, and signifies the start of the harvesting season and longer days as the sun comes towards the northern hemisphere.

Lohri is always celebrated a day before Makar Sankranti on the Hindu Calendar which falls between the 14th and 15th of January.

 

How is Lohri celebrated?

 

Dancing Around A Bonfire

 

As Lohri commemorates the end of winter, the festival is all about bright colours and lights as we look forward to summer and the harvest.

Typical celebrations include making huge bonfires, as fire is a significant symbol for Lohri. The element of fire has huge cultural significance as it pays homage to the Sun God, who brings in light and warmth.

As bonfires are significant to the celebration of Lohri, parties and gatherings are often centred around bonfires in harvested fields or gardens. Family and friends can gather around and offer prayers of prosperity, abundance and fertility, as well as sing songs, play music and dance around.

Lohri is truly a fun and happy holiday which is centred on looking forward to the days that are to come, and that’s why bright and colourful decorations are used when celebrating.

 

How can I celebrate Lohri?

 

It is customary to decorate your home for Lohri, and luckily we have all the bright and colourful decorations and lights you need to make Lohri 2023 one remember!

Be prepared to put on a lavish feast for your family and friends, and serve up traditional foods such as Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti to enjoy on the 13th of January. Use our Lohri party pack to make your gathering a proper Lohri party to serve up these traditional foods and other party nibbles.

 

Do you give gifts at Lohri?

 

Bowl of Seeds And Peanuts

 

It’s to unusual for people to exchange gifts to celebrate Lohri. Typical gifts may include sweet and dry fruit baskets, food baskets and hampers, oil diffusers, and handcrafted items.

If you are throwing a party for Lohri you may want to give your guests gifts of Til (black sesame seeds), Gak, Gur (Jaggery), peanuts, and popcorn. These items are thrown into the fire of the bonfire later on in the celebrations as part of the harvest ritual.

It is traditional for children to partake in praising Dulha Bhatti, often by singing songs whilst visiting neighbours and collecting money. Dulha Bhatti is a Punjabi version of the western world’s “Robin Hood” who famously stole from the rich to help the poor.

 

The regions in which Lohri is celebrated are extremely diverse and multi-cultural, which means how Lohri is celebrated can vary from one area to another, depending on their versions of the tradition. However, one thing that remains amongst all celebrations is the joyous, bright, and colourful celebrations which are enjoyed alongside loved family members and friends within the community to mark the end of the winter season.