Significance
Lohri is the Punjabi festival of the winter solstice, celebrating the end of the coldest days and the harvest of the rabi crops. It falls on the eve of Makar Sankranti, around 13 January.
The bonfire at its heart honours Agni, the fire god, and the returning warmth of the Sun.
Rituals
Families and neighbours gather around a bonfire at dusk, offering sesame, jaggery, popcorn and rewari to the flames while singing folk songs and dancing the bhangra and gidda. The offerings are shared as prasad. It is especially celebrated for newborns and newlyweds.
How the date is fixed
Lohri is observed on the last day of the month of Paush, the night before the Sun enters Capricorn (Makar Sankranti), so it falls on a nearly fixed date each January.