Lohri 2018: Why Are Foods Fed To The Bonfire During The Festival?

It's the end of long winter nights as is signified in celebrations of the harvest festival of Lohri 2018. With the New Year, come festivals observing the commencement of winter harvest in India. People across the country, especially from Punjab and Haryana celebrate Lohri to signify the end of winter and celebrate the beginning of warm weather and of course a successful winter harvest. Despite icy winds, the festive mood of Lohri keeps its warmth owing to its bonfire celebration. This auspicious occasion is celebrated by organizing a huge bonfire consisting of friends and family enjoying feasts along with singing folk songs and dancing to them.

Lohri is celebrated on 13th January every year with much fervour and enthusiasm. Huge bonfires are lit in the harvested fields or in the front yards of houses and people gather around the rising flames orbiting (parikrama) around the fire. After the parikrama, people wish their friends and family happiness and prosperity by exchanging gifts and food items. Bhangra and gidda are performed as it makes for an occasion to rejoice. This is followed by a traditional dinner of makke-di-roti and sarson-da-saag along with other delectable items to gorge on to.

_{Lohri is celebrated on 13th January every year with much fervour and enthusiasm}

What's most interesting is some of the traditional foods that make an important part of the festival are fed to the bonfire. This is an important tradition that is followed amongst people.

Lohri 2018: Traditional foods of Lohri and why are they fed to the fire

 

The traditional Lohri foods include popcorns, popularly known as phulle, til ladoos, peanuts, puffed rice, gajak and gur or jaggery. Apart from feasting on these traditional treats, they are fed to the fire for various reasons. It is believed that these foods are fed to the fire in the hope to seek blessings for yourself and your family from the God of Fire or Agni. Moreover, it may also mark the end of all evil as the families pray, positivity and purity is believed to infuse in their households. This act of feeding foods to the fire may also be auspicious for newly married couples and to-be-parents for a blessed life ahead. Additionally, many people are believed to make a wish as they toss the food items in fire hoping it would be fulfilled by the God of Fire. It is basically praying to the gods to bring health, happiness and prosperity to the families.

This festival is about hoping for a great harvest next year and wishing a happy and healthy life along with welcoming warmer months with much joy.

Happy Lohri 2018!