Oh!you thought Lohri was a festival about crops?

This one’s for all non-lohri celebrating people.Every 13^th Jan when we light a bonfire ,a lot of people join us simply because the festival is so full of joy.Throwing peanuts in the  bonfire,the singing and dancing around it and much more. But here’s something I noticed,alot of people think Lohri is celebrated because “it has something to do with crops”.Well,i  myself lived under that misconception for  a very long time and realized how ignorant we people are, when I read  up a bit.

SO ,let me tell you,Lohri is celebrated in Punjab,Some parts of harayana ,Himachal and Delhi on the eve of the winter solstice .It is  believed that Lohri night is the longest night of the year and on the day after Lohri, day light is meant to increase. Though  scientifically, the shortest day of the year is around December 21–22 after when the days begin to get longer. So that would mean ,winter solstice begins on December 21 or December 22 and Lohri ought to be celebrated a day before that.But according to the  Bikrami calendar, Lohri falls in the month of Paush i.e. around 13 January,hence that is when its celebrated.

Here are some Interesting facts i came across :

1.Lohri is a festival dedicated to the end of the Winter season whereas Teej  is dedicated to the rain/Monsoon season and Basant is dedicated to the Spring season.

We have heard of all these festivals and fasts thanks to our hindi serials but atleast now we know why they'r celebrated.

2.Also,Sundar Mundriye  is the song that is sung while dancing around the bonfire.Movie lovers would remember it from the movie Veer Zara.

3.The song mentioned above talks about a famous legendary Rajpoot hero of Punjab,Dulla Bhatti.Do not forget to go through his history ,its quite an interesting read.


Here's how the song  goes:

Sunder mundriye ho!
Tera kaun vicharaa ho!
Dullah Bhatti walla ho!
Dullhe di dhee vyayae ho!
Ser shakkar payee ho!
Kudi da laal pathaka ho!
Kudi da saalu paata ho!
Salu kaun samete!
Chacha gali dese!
Chache choori kutti! zamidara lutti!
Zamindaar sudhaye!
Bum Bum bhole aaye!
Ek bhola reh gaya!
Sipahee far ke lai gaya!
Sipahee ne mari itt!
Bhaanvey ro te bhaanvey pitt!
Sanoo de de Lohri, te teri jeeve jodi!
(Cry or howl!)

Translation

Beautiful girl
Who will think about you
Dulla of the Bhatti clan will
Dulla's daughter got married
He gave one ser of sugar!
The girl is wearing a red suit!
But her shawl is torn!
Who will stitch her shawl?!
The uncle made choori!
The landlords looted it!
Landlords are beaten up!
Lots of simple-headed boys came!
One simpleton got left behind!
The soldier arrested him!
The soldier hit him with a brick!
(Cry or howl)!
Give us Lohri, long live your pair (to a married couple)!
Whether you cry, or bang your head later!

Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lohri