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| Lohri Traditions
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Lohri is primarily the harvest festival of the Punjabis. This festival denotes the harvesting of
the Rabi crops and hence all the farmers get together in order to thank god for giving them such a wonderful harvest.
In the morning on Lohri day children go from door to door singing and demanding the Lohri 'loot' in the form of money and eatables
like til (sesame) seeds, peanuts, jaggery, or sweets like gajak, rewri, etc. Doing this they also collect firewood and money for the
bonfire that is scheduled on the night of Lohri.
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On the special day, offerings of phulley (popcorn), moongphali (peanuts) and rewri (a sweet delicacy made out of jaggery and sesame seed)
are offered to the fire. The men and women go round the fire and bow before it in reverence. Lohri holds special importance when there is a special occasion
in the family like marriage or childbirth.
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The Bonfire Tradition :
In the evening, with the setting of the sun, huge bonfires are lit in the harvested fields and in the front yards of houses and people gather around the rising flames,
circle around (parikrama) the bonfire and throw puffed rice, popcorn and other munchies into the fire, shouting "Aadar aye dilather jaye" (May honor come and poverty vanish!),
and sing popular folk songs. This is a sort of prayer to Agni, the fire god, to bless the land with abundance and prosperity.
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After the parikrama, people meet friends and relatives, exchange greetings and gifts, and distribute prasad (offerings made to god).
The prasad comprises five main items: til, gajak, jaggery, peanuts, and popcorn. Winter savories are served around the bonfire with the traditional dinner
of makki-ki-roti (multi-millet hand-rolled bread) and sarson-ka-saag (cooked mustard herbs).
On the Lohri day everyone gets into their best clothes and is festive. Gifts of sweets are exchanged. The courtyard and rooms of the house are swept and
sprinkled with water. As the sun sets, all people dress up in their best and gather around the bonfire. Newly wed ones wear jewelery. The new-born are given
little combs to hold. The a burning fagot is brought from the hearth and sets the Lohri bonfire alight. As the flames leap up, the girls throw sesame seed in
them and bow.
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