Makar Sankranti, Lohri, & Pongal 2025: Date, History, Food & Celebration

A Harvest of Joy, Unity, and Sweet Celebrations

The festival period in India is an elaborate mix of culture, customs, and flavors. One such occasion is Makar Sankranti, Lohri, and Pongal. The festivals all celebrate prosperity and harvest and are all food-centric. One may have questions about this or how to celebrate from home in the USA! Here’s your ultimate handbook just on those beautiful traditions!

Makar Sankranti 2025 - Date: January 15, 2025

Brief History:

Makar Sankranti signifies the end of winters and the arrival of longer, brightness-filled days. It is also marked as the entrance of the Sun into Capricorn (Makara). This festival is a significant part of India's culture, celebrating new beginnings and showing gratitude for the harvest. The festival is said to bring forth the excitement of kite flying in states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan, filling the free skies with immense joy.

How It's Celebrated:

This day marks the time for families coming together to make and share traditional sweets, the tilgul laddus (sweetened sesame balls) representing sweetness in relationships. Some activities include kite flying, bonfires, and praying to the Sun God. 

Food Picks for Makar Sankranti 2025:

1. Tilgul Laddus: Mothers use these sweet sesame seed balls to pass on warmth and sweetness from loved ones to loved ones. These tilgul laddus are weighed down with the goodness of sesame seeds and jaggery but are a powerhouse of flavor and a testament to tradition. These are perfectly bite-sized, making them a must-have to celebrate the essence of Makar Sankranti.

2. Khichdi: One can always be told by Khichdi made with rice, lentils, and spices. Khichdi is a traditional meal for many households with a ghee dollop.

3. Sattu and Chikki: This peanut and jaggery brittle is a must-sweet for the season. The fact that it’s crunchy and its caramelized flavor makes it a snack ideally suited for the occasion. Have it with a hot chai, and it becomes pretty darn good.

4. Til Chikki (Sesame Sweets): Til Chikki is just another crunchy and nutty delight that accompanies kite-flying sessions perfectly. The alluring taste of sesame seeds and jaggery mix gives a heavenly taste to your diet and makes your festive more fun.

Lohri 2025 - Date: January 13, 2025

Brief History:

Lohri is a festival celebrated in Punjab, North India. Lohri signifies harvesting sugarcane and the arrival of longer days, such as summer. It's traditionally related to folklore, community bonding, and hitting the agricultural cycle.

How It's Celebrated:

Imagine a chilly January night when the warmth of a blazing bonfire can create feelings of warmth within the hearts of the people around you as you sing traditional songs together and toss sesame seeds, peanuts, and popped corn to our bonfire as offerings. The festive mood is incomplete without the dance performance to the dhol beats, which drag in Punjabi zest.

Food Picks for Lohri 2025:

1. Sarson Ka Saag and Makki ki Roti: The most iconic Punjabi winter delicacy that is everything comfort food should be! A soul-satisfying meal celebrating the harvest, golden cornmeal rotis slathered in butter and creamy saag (mustard greens).

2. Gajak: A classic of Lohri is this sesame and jaggery sweet which is loved for its unique texture and taste. It is a crunchy snack that can be munched while the day is warm and we have a bonfire. Gajak is the Spirit of the festival.

3. Rewari: They are tasty bite-sized, sesame/seeds and sugar candies with just the right sweetness in each bite. Rewari is no mere treat; it signifies sharing sweetness and love with family and friends, yielding a traditional payoff.

4. Peanut Chikki: Lohri celebration will never be complete without peanut chikki, which is sweet and crunchy. A festival favorite, this brittle with roasted peanuts and jaggery is all these; you will want to have it again and again!

Pongal 2025 - Date: January 15–18, 2025

Brief History:

The four-day festival of the God of the Sun, Harvest, and Cattles, which helps the people of Tamil Nadu in India farm, is celebrated as Pongal. Pongal means 'to boil over,' symbolizing prosperity, and is derived from the word 'pongu.' 

How It's Celebrated:

Each day of Pongal has its significance:

1. Happy Bhogi Pongal - A day to discard and welcome old belongings.

2. Thai Pongal - On a primary day, families cook a special dish called Pongal, made from newly harvested rice, jaggery, and milk.

3. Mattu Pongal - Cattle's colorful decorations and rituals.

4. Kaanum Pongal - Enjoying a picnic and catching up with loved ones.

Food Picks for Pongal 2025:

1. Sweet Pongal: A spicy, aromatic dish with ghee in the center, this rice and jaggery is served to celebrate Pongal. And while Sweet Pongal is flavored with cardamom and spiced with cashews and golden raisins, it represents prosperity and joy!

2. Medu Vada: Festival favorite lentil fritters, topped with a fluffy, soft inside and golden crunchy outside. Dip them in sambar or coconut chutney to make this unique, and you’ll have a great snack to add to your Pongal.

3. Banana Chips: Banana chips are a quintessential South Indian snack, and they help provide that crisp crunch for your Pongal celebrations. Their saltiness and slight sweetness lend themselves well to being a party food or alone.

4. Sambar: Low in fat and exceptionally flavored, sambar is a lentil and vegetable stew that is tasty or served alongside vadas, dosas, or rice. This tangy and spicy note of Pongal added to every bite makes it an integral part of any Pongal spread.

Order Indian Sweets Online for the Festivities

No matter where you are in the USA, you can make these celebrations memorable by exploring Quicklly's range of Indian sweets online. From til laddus to Pongal mix kits, they've got everything to bring authentic Indian flavors to your doorstep.

Offer Sacred Puja on Makar Sankranti

This day of Makar Sankranti starts with a holy dip in the Shipra river in Ujjain at sunrise. People pay their offerings to the Sun God for health, prosperity, and spiritual enlightenment. Those unable to attend in person can still connect with the divine through online puja services. Temples and platforms like Quicklly now allow devotees to book online puja and or book pandit online, ensuring you can participate in the rituals and seek blessings from the comfort of your home. Celebrate this Makar Sankranti with faith, tradition, and the convenience of modern connectivity.

Final Note

From Makar Sankranti to Lohri to Pongal, these festivals are more than they seem: Gatherings of life, gratitude, and unity. Savoring the taste of these fetes, I will not tell you to miss the chance to sweeten them even more by dipping them into regular Indian treats.