A harvesting
festival, Lohri falls on the longest night of the year (so more time to party!)
and is a festival of thanksgiving for farmers who celebrate the harvest of rabi
crop which is sown in winter.
The Hindu
God of fire, Lord Agni and the folklore of Dulla Bhatti is sung with much
fervour, with dhol playing in the background. It is similar to the celebration
of Makar Sakranti or Maghi, celebrated in other parts of the country, but since
Punjabis like to do everything king size, their Lohri celebrations are full of
colour, music, laughter and great food.
Many
families who have a newborn in the house celebrate the first Lohri of the child
and similarly the first Lohri of newlyweds is celebrated with much enthusiasm.
Til (sesame)
and rorhi (jaggery) are eaten as traditional foods on this occasion, and people
gather around the bonfire, sing songs and throw in foods like gajak, chikki,
puffed rice, popcorn, rewri, sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts and sugarcane to
pay homage to roots.
Colour,
music and good food are the basic essentials of every Lohri party.
No comments:
Post a Comment