Happy Lohri 2026: Interesting facts about the festival you must know

In India, there are so many festivals that every festival has its significance. Every festival is celebrated with some rituals and customs followed by a pooja and a feast. However, there are very few festivals which are dedicated to cultivation and plantation. Lohri is widely regarded as the biggest harvest festival that marks the end of the winters and the arrival of longer days. It is a day of expressing gratitude for the successful harvest of crops.

Lohri is celebrated in Haryana, Punjab, and other northern parts of India. As the new year begins, the festival of Lohri brings blessings and abundance with its festive fiesta and celebration. Families host a get-together and greet each other with delicious winter-special delicacies like 'rewri', 'gajak', and 'peanuts'. The mirthful festivities of Lohri are incomplete without Punjabi giddha, a traditional folk dance, and the beats of dhol.


Lohri embodies a spirit of thanksgiving to the harvest culminating in moments of joy, laughter, and togetherness. People come together during this festival forgetting past memories and getting ready to witness new beginnings. Lohri holds an important cultural significance in Punjabi tradition. As the Sun sets, the evening lights up with the warmth of a bonfire, folk music, and some tasty dishes.

This year celebrate Lohri 2026 with your friends and family with endless laughter and lots of dance. Here are some interesting facts about Lohri you should know:

1. Lohri is primarily celebrated in Punjab and Haryana. It marks the onset of longer days. Every year Lohri is celebrated on 13th and 14th January. Lohri is celebrated one day before Makar Sankranti, according to the Hindu calendar. According to the Drik Panchang, Lohri 2026 will be celebrated on the 14th of January (Sunday) and Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on the 15th of January (Monday). The days will get longer as we bid goodbye to the winter.

2. Lohri is celebrated to express gratitude for bountiful plantations. The rabi crops are sown in the winter season. The harvest of sugarcane, mustard, and wheat is prominently associated with the goodness of the festival. Some people also believe that Lohri marks the commencement of a new financial year.

3. The successful harvest and cultivation of rabi crops symbolize abundance, good luck, and prosperity. The festival is quite popular in agrarian parts of northern India.

4. The bonfire tradition of Lohri is very famous. Lighting a bonfire and offering till (sesame seeds), gur (jaggery), and peanuts into the bonfire is a ritual steeped in rich Punjabi tradition. Women dressed up in beautiful Patiala suits also perform a folk dance around the bonfire.

5. The special delicacies of Lohri include 'Sarson da saag' and 'makki di roti', 'gajak', and 'til ke ladoo'. These delicious winter-special varieties are beautifully arranged and offered in a ‘Lohri ki thaali’ as a festival feast. This thali has sweet delicacies like 'gud chikki', dahi Bhalla, and 'panjiri'.

6. The dhol beats of Lohri and rhythmic sounds of dhol accompanied by folk dance showcase Lohri’s festive spirits. The Punjabi folk music makes the night ever rocking. The festive preparations begin during the night and Dhol beats commence at the beginning of the auspicious time and the grandeur of the festival.