Festivals and Annual Events

Lohri, the harvest festival of north India, is celebrated by farmers  before harvesting and gathering their golden crop of wheat. In Delhi, it  is basically celebrated by the Punjabi community  annually on the 13th of January. It is essentially a celebration of winter and marks the peak of winter. The celebrations are marked by grand  bonfire parties wherein people, young and old alike sing and dance all night long. Sweets made from jaggery and  sesame seeds are distributed to family and friends. Peanuts are a special favorite and all sorts of goodies  are prepared with it and eaten on this day. The most popular form eaten all winter long is of course the roasted peanut which is cracked open  while still hot and which serves as an effective means of keeping away the winter chill. Sarson ka saag and makki ki roti is traditionally served as the main course at a Lohri dinner.