Lohri is a Punjabi harvest festival celebrated on January 13 every year — the night before Makar Sankranti. Marked by bonfires, folk songs, and the sharing of traditional foods, Lohri is especially significant for families celebrating their first Lohri after a wedding or the birth of a child, when it takes on the character of a major family milestone.
The Significance of Lohri
Lohri marks the end of the winter solstice period and is traditionally linked to the harvest of the Rabi (winter) crop — particularly sugarcane and sesame. The bonfire represents the peak of winter, with the belief that after Lohri, the cold begins to recede. The fire is also associated with Agni, the fire god, and offerings made into it are considered particularly auspicious. The festival also celebrates the legend of Dulla Bhatti — a Robin Hood-like folk hero of Punjab who rescued girls from abductors and is immortalized in Lohri songs sung to this day.
First Lohri After Wedding or Baby
First Lohri after wedding
The bride and groom are given special prominence — they circle the bonfire together, receive gifts from family, and the occasion is treated as a major celebration of the new couple
First Lohri after a baby
Considered the most auspicious — the newborn's first Lohri is celebrated with particular joy, with gifts and prayers for the child's long life
Gift-giving
Both occasions involve the giving of sweets, dried fruits, and money (shagun) by family and friends — in cities, dedicated Lohri gifts like dry fruit boxes are common
Lohri Rituals — Step by Step
Children go door-to-door in the days before Lohri collecting 'Lohri' — offerings of til, gur, gajak, and sometimes money — singing folk songs as they go
On the evening of January 13, families gather around a bonfire lit in the courtyard, neighbourhood, or open ground
Offerings of sesame seeds (til), jaggery (gur), popcorn (revri), and peanuts are thrown into the fire while circling it
Families circle the bonfire (parikrama) — often multiple rounds — while singing Lohri songs like 'Sundar Mundriye'
The famous Lohri song references Dulla Bhatti — it's sung in call-and-response form, with verses dating back hundreds of years
After the bonfire rituals, families sit together and share Lohri foods — especially revri (sesame-jaggery drops), gajak (sesame brittle), moongphali (peanuts), and makki di roti with sarson da saag
Bhangra and Gidda (Punjabi folk dances) are a festive highlight in many communities
Traditional Lohri Foods
💡 Family tradition tip
Record the specific Lohri songs your family sings — the Dulla Bhatti verses can vary slightly by village and family, and these regional variations are being lost. Also note who attended each year's bonfire; these gatherings are a natural family reunion moment worth documenting.
The morning after Lohri? See our Makar Sankranti guide for the harvest festival that follows.