The First Lohri

The first Lohri celebrated by a new bride or a newborn represents a grand occasion and immediate family members are invited for feast and exchange of gifts. Once the party is over, Lohri is celebrated with traditional dancing and singing around the bonfire. Lohri pampers women and children. This is particularly a happy occasion for the couples who for the first time celebrated Lohri after their marriage and also first Lohri of a new born child either a girl or a boy in a family.

On the first Lohri of the the recently wedded bride or a new born, people give offerings of dry fruits, revri (a kind of sweet made of sugar and sesame seeds), roasted peanuts, Sesame Ladoo and other foods to the fire, as well as sharing them with their family and friends gathered around the fire.

They perform the ‘Bhangra’ dance, in groups around the fire. The dancing and singing continues well into the night. The Bhangra dance has rhythmic movements of the feet, shoulders and body, with outstretched hands and a lot of clapping by women partners. Food eaten is generally vegetarian and traditionally, no alcoholic drinks are supposed to be consumed.

First Lohri of a bride :

The first Lohri of a bride is considered very important. It is celebrated with increased fervor and on a larger scale. The family of the newly wedded wife and husband gather around the fire wearing their best , often new clothes, decorated with beautiful Punjabi embroidery in gold and silk threads. The newly married woman wear new chudiyan, apply mehndi on their hands. The husband also wear new clothes and colorful pagdi. The new bride of the family on her first Lohri is presented with beautiful new clothes and jewelery by her parent in-laws.

First Lohri of a New Born Baby :

The first Lohri of a new born is a special occasion in which all friends and family join to celebrate. It is performed in the later part of the evening. The event is observed at the parental home of the child in the presence of close relatives, friends and well-wishers. All the guest and relatives bring gifts for the baby and the new mother. The child's maternal grandparents give gifts to the child's paternal relatives also.

On the first Lohri of a new-born baby, the mother attired in heavy clothes and wearing a lot of jewelery with mehndi on her hands and feet sits with the baby in her lap. The family does the Lohri Ceremony. The mother-in-law and father-in-law of course give a large quantity of gifts in the form of clothes and cash and others. The maternal grandparents also send gifts of clothes, sweets, rayveri, peanuts and popcorns.

Lohri is essentially a festival dedicated to fire and the sun god. It is the time when the sun transits the zodiac sign Makar (Capricorn), and moves towards the north. In astrological terms, this is referred to as the sun becoming Uttarayan. The new configuration lessens the ferocity of winter, and brings warmth to earth. It is to ward off the bitter chill of the month of January that people light bonfires, dance around it in a mood of bonhomie and celebrate Lohri.

A few days prior to the festival, young boys gather outside the village houses and recite lohri songs. The owner of the house gives them popcorn, sugar, jaggery and peanuts as also sometimes money. The tradition is considered especially auspicious for households which have recently witnessed pleasant happenings.