Happy Lohri 2023: Some Interesting facts you must know about the festival

By Pragativadi News Service On Jan 13, 2023

New Delhi: The special time of the year is here. Lohri, one of the biggest festivals of North India. Especially celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu and Himachal Pradesh, this is the time of the year when people gather around together with their family and friends and observe the day of warmth and harvest. Lohri also celebrates winter harvest and speaks of the importance of warmth. Homemade delicious snacks are prepared during this time and people gather around the bonfire and engage in dance and music.

Lohri is usually celebrated a day ahead of Makar Sankranti and this year the festival falls on January 14 (Saturday), 2023.

Also known by names such La Loi or Lohadi, on this day, people gather with friends and family, light a bonfire outside their homes or in public areas using wood and cow dung cakes. Then they go around the fire and they perform Parikrama, they keep offering sesame seeds, jaggery, gajak, rewdi, and peanuts to the fire.

As per the Hindu mythology, the festival of Lohri was celebrated in remembrance of Goddess Sati, who gave her own ‘Aahuti’ in the yagya organized by her father Prajapati Daksha. As per a popular belief Daksha and other guests criticized Lord Shiva, and Goddess Sati felt humiliated and jumped into the holy fire, which then enraged Lord Shiva. It is believed that the fire lit on this day is pure and it is believed any wish is fulfilled by offering sweet treats as Ahuti to the fire.

One of the popular reasons why this festival is known as Lohri is because it is believed that Lohita is the sister of Holika and from there the name Lohri is derived.

It is believed that from this day the sun enters the North Hemisphere, which makes the Lohri day the shortest day of the year and the night is believed to be the longest one.

It is believed that the Lohri sweets are made with jaggery because it adds sweetness to the festival and also brings good luck.

Why are Popcorns, Rewari and peanuts offered to the fire?
It is believed that offering anything to the holy fire brings good luck and prosperity.

As per the Sikh community, the revenue of the winter crops is collected on this festival and it is said to be the beginning of the new financial year.