Lohri

Culture of origin: Hindu · Cultural

Holiday sources: Hinduism

Lohri is a winter harvest festival of the Punjab region, kept by people of all faiths on the night before Maghi, Makar Sankranti in the Punjabi calendar. A bonfire is lit at sunset, and sesame seeds, peanuts, popcorn and other foods are thrown into it; people dance the bhangra and giddha to the dhol, and many Lohri songs tell the legend of Dulla Bhatti, a Punjabi folk hero of Akbar's time. Jaggery, gajak and nuts from the new harvest are eaten.