Lohri/Maghi Hindu and Sikh

Lohri and Maghi are festivals celebrated by both Hindus and Sikhs, but with different meanings and traditions: 

• Lohri

  A mid-winter festival celebrated in North India with bonfires in fields and yards. It marks the end of the winter solstice and is celebrated one day before Maghi. Lohri is celebrated on a date determined by the Hindu Solar calendar, which changes every 70 years. In 2024, Lohri will be celebrated on January 14. During Lohri, people worship the Hindu gods Agni, the God of Fire, and Surya, the Sun God. 

• Maghi

  A Punjabi festival celebrated by Sikhs on the first day of the month of Magh in the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated one day after Lohri. Maghi is a community gathering to commemorate the martyrdom of 40 Sikhs who died in 1705 while fighting the Mughal Empire. Sikhs celebrate Maghi by: 
  • Making a pilgrimage to the site of the war 
  • Taking a dip in the sacred water tanks of Muktsar 
  • Holding a fair (mela) at Muktsar Sahib called the Mela Maghi 
  • Eating sweet rice porridge with milk, known as Kheer 
  • Flying kites