Punjabi Festivals

Maghi

Makar Sankranti is frequently known as Maghi by Punjabis. People visit the Gurdwara or the Mandir. The festival marks the increase in daylight and celebrated culturally by eating 'kheer' (rice boiled in milk).

Lohri

Lohri is the winter harvest festival of the Punjab region as the traditional time to harvest sugarcane is in winter. The festival also is the symbolic celebration of the winter solstice, and is the last day of the farmers' financial year.

Basant

Basant Festival is a seasonal festival to welcome the spring. The traditional colour of the day is yellow and the dish of the day is saffron rice.

Holi

Holi is the spring festival of colours which is celebrated by throwing colours on each other. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Punjabi lunar month of Chet and marks the Spring season.

Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi is the Punjabi new year and the harvest festival. Fairs are held throughout the Punjab on this day.

Rakhri

Raksha Bandhan in the Punjab is known as 'Rakhri' and celebrated as a brothers and sisters day.

Teeyan

Teeyan welcomes the monsoon season and the festival officially starts of the day of Teej and last for 13 days. The seasonal festival involves women and girls dancing Gidha and visiting family.

Diwali

For Sikhs, Diwali is particularly important because it celebrates the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, and 52 other princes with him, in 1619. The Sikh tradition holds that the Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned Guru Hargobind and 52 princes.

Dussehra

Accordingly, Punjabi farmers traditionally start to harvest the kharif (monsoon) rice crops after Dussehra and sow the wheat (rabi crop) after Diwali. Therefore, Dussehra doubles up as a thanksgiving festival and Diwali is also considered to be a harvest festival. The Punjabi calendar has shifted from the seasons over the years. Dussehra is meant to be celebrated near the first full moon after the autumn equinox and Diwali on the first new moon thereafter.