Lohri 2026

When Is Lohri in 2026?

In 2026, Lohri falls on January 13. The observance lasts 1 night. Lohri is observed on a fixed date each year. Tied to Makar Sankranti (one day before); the date is effectively fixed on January 13, though in years when Sankranti falls on January 15, Lohri is still traditionally observed on January 13. Lohri is observed on the same date each year: January 13. Here are the dates for the next five years: Year Date 2026 January 13 2027 January 13 2028 January 13 2029 January 13 2030 January 13

What Time Does Lohri Start in Your Time Zone?

Lohri is observed on January 13 each year — the night before Makar Sankranti. The festival is calculated by the sun's position (the sun's transit into Capricorn occurs on January 14, and Lohri is the night before). The date is essentially fixed on the Gregorian calendar, with only rare variations. As a fixed Gregorian date, the festival is timezone-independent: Punjabi families in India, Pakistan, the UK, Canada, and elsewhere all observe Lohri on January 13. The evening timing of the festival means that the bonfire is lit at sunset, which varies by latitude. In Ludhiana, Punjab, sunset on January 13 is around 5:45 PM; in Toronto (where there is a large Punjabi diaspora), sunset is around 5:10 PM. The bonfire is typically lit between 6 PM and 7 PM local time, with celebrations continuing into the evening. The table below shows the observance date for Lohri in major time zones around the world: Location Observance Date Time Zone New York, USA January 13 EST/EDT (UTC-5/-4) London, UK January 13 GMT/BST (UTC+0/+1) New Delhi, India January 13 IST (UTC+5:30) Sydney, Australia January 13 AEST/AEDT (UTC+10/+11) Dubai, UAE January 13 GST (UTC+4)

The Story Behind Lohri

Lohri is a winter harvest festival celebrated in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, observed on January 13 each year — the night before Makar Sankranti. The festival marks the end of winter and the welcoming of longer days, and is associated with the harvesting of the sugarcane crop and the sowing of wheat. Lohri is particularly associated with the Punjabi and Sikh communities, but is celebrated across North India and among the global Punjabi diaspora. The festival's origins are debated. Some trace it to the legend of Dulla Bhatti, a Punjabi folk hero who lived during the reign of Akbar (the Mughal emperor) and is said to have rescued Punjabi girls from being sold into slavery. Lohri songs traditionally include the refrain "Dulla Bhatti ho!" in his honor. Other theories connect Lohri to the winter solstice and the Lohri fire, which is lit to invoke the sun's return and the lengthening of days. The festival falls on the last night of the month of Paush (the coldest month in the Punjabi calendar) and welcomes the start of the month of Magh, when the days begin to grow longer. The festival is also associated with the harvest of sugarcane, mustard greens (sarson), and radish. Traditional Lohri foods — gajak (a sesame-jaggery brittle), rewri (sesame candy), peanuts, and popcorn — are all foods that can be harvested in the Punjab winter and that have a long shelf life. The fire of Lohri is the festival's central symbol: families and communities gather around a bonfire, throw offerings of gajak, rewri, and peanuts into the flames, and sing and dance around the fire.

How Lohri Is Celebrated

Lohri is celebrated on the evening of January 13, with the lighting of the Lohri bonfire. Families and neighborhoods gather around the fire, throw offerings of til (sesame seeds), gajak, rewri, peanuts, and popcorn into the flames, and circle the fire singing folk songs. The offerings symbolize the burning away of the old year's negativity and the welcoming of the new year's prosperity. After the fire ritual, families share the prasad of til, gajak, rewri, peanuts, and popcorn. Bhangra and gidda — the energetic Punjabi folk dances — are performed around the Lohri fire, with men and women in colorful traditional dress dancing to the beat of the dhol drum. The festival is especially important for families with a new baby or a newlywed couple — their first Lohri after the birth or wedding is celebrated with particular enthusiasm, with the family hosting a larger-than-usual bonfire and feast. Children go door-to-door singing Lohri songs and collecting sweets and money, in a tradition reminiscent of Halloween trick-or-treating. Traditional Lohri foods include makki di roti (corn flatbread) and sarson da saag (mustard greens), the iconic Punjabi winter dish. Other foods include til rice (rice cooked with sesame seeds and jaggery), peanut brittle, and gur pare (a sweet deep-fried pastry made with flour and jaggery). In Punjabi households across India and the diaspora, the meal of makki di roti and sarson da saag is the centerpiece of the Lohri dinner — even when the family lives far from Punjab and the ingredients must be specially sourced.

Lohri on the Calendar

Lohri is fixed on January 13, the night before Makar Sankranti (January 14). The festival is calculated by the sun's position — the sun's transit into Capricorn occurs on January 14, and Lohri is the night before. Because the festival is calculated astronomically (solar) rather than by the lunar phase, its Gregorian date is essentially fixed, with only rare variations of a day in leap years. This makes Lohri, like Makar Sankranti and Pongal, one of the few Hindu festivals with a nearly fixed Gregorian date.

Night before Makar Sankranti; January 13 (occasionally shifts with Sankranti)

Did You Know? Lohri Facts & Trivia

Lohri is celebrated on January 13 each year — the night before Makar Sankranti. The festival is calculated by the sun's position (the sun's transit into Capricorn occurs on January 14, and Lohri is the night before). Because the festival is calculated astronomically (solar) rather than by the lunar phase, its Gregorian date is essentially fixed. The most popular legend associated with Lohri is the story of Dulla Bhatti, a Punjabi folk hero who lived during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605). Dulla Bhatti is said to have rescued Punjabi girls from being sold into slavery, and Lohri songs traditionally include the refrain "Dulla Bhatti ho!" in his honor. Traditional Lohri foods — gajak (a sesame-jaggery brittle), rewri (sesame candy), peanuts, and popcorn — are all foods that can be harvested in the Punjab winter and that have a long shelf life. The fire of Lohri is the festival's central symbol: families and communities gather around a bonfire, throw offerings of gajak, rewri, and peanuts into the flames, and sing and dance. The festival is especially important for families with a new baby or a newlywed couple — their first Lohri after the birth or wedding is celebrated with particular enthusiasm, with the family hosting a larger-than-usual bonfire and feast. Children go door-to-door singing Lohri songs and collecting sweets and money, in a tradition reminiscent of Halloween trick-or-treating.