The origin of this term is doubtful but suffice it say that it has some connection with fire. This is the famous festival of Punjab now celebrated in many countries where the Punjabi people have reached. Since Punjab is essentially the land of agriculturists, this function has a direct bearing on agriculture and farming. This festival occurs on the 13th day of January in the month of Paush or Magh, a day before the famous festival of Makar Sankranti. It is celebrated in the biting cold of the winter season when the winter-rains are about to come or have already come. Having toiled right since October when the seed is sown for the Rabi crop-the chief crop of north India-till middle of January for the protection the plants of wheat and grain through the most rigorous conditions, when the farmers see that the grain has begun to form, they become delighted. Seeing gold (when ripening the wheat fields give the impression of gold) spread all around the owners and peasants' joy knows no bounds after all that trouble, intense toil and sweat they have put in, they decide to celebrate the heavenly reward in the form of ripening crop. Also, once the grain start growing the farmers have not to devote much attention to the field except general care, they have ample time to celebrate. Since around this time of the year the cold is very intense, they could find no better way to celebrate by lighting bon-fire and dancing around it.

The festivities include the boisterous Bhangra dance which ideally suits the occasion since its fast movements generate enough heat in the body to fight off the freezing cold and enjoy. On Lohri, dancers perform the Bhangra in a ring around fire. The fire is offered 'Chivra' (beaten rice), 'Meva' (dry fruits), til-gur-revri (sesame seeds' sweet preparations believed to keep the body warm) and 'gajak' (another variety of sweetened sesame seeds with Jagger y or sugar) by each individual. Then the fire becomes the deity of the occasion. It is considered consecrated with no one allowed to throw left over food items or those that have been partially eaten into the fire. While moving around the people keep on chanting 'Aadar aaye, dalidder jaye' (let prestige and prosperity come to our homes and adversity and poverty be thrown out of it forever). Circumambutating the holy fire is compulsory before anyone joining the celebration. All the participants are served the typical food items mentioned above by the householder who celebrates the function before his home. Lohri is an individual's function but celebrated collectively. Sometimes many houses join hands to celebrate the occasion with other persons of their vicinity. Many urchins move in group performing antics with improvised poems like "Aayee mai de ke ja; daari mauch munda ke ja" (a funny composition asking the mustache and beardless ladies to give the boys money for celebrating the Lohri ) and similar other rhythmic and often meaningless couplets joined together in a long song. Dhaula Bhatti, the special hero of this festival. This was the tale of a man who rescued a girl from her cruel abductors and adopted her. Finally he arranged for her marriage as if she were his own daughter. These songs exhort the youth to protect the honor of their sisters and daughters and punish those who try to dishonor them.

According to yet another explanation it is said that our forefathers formulated a secret 'Mantra' (formula) which rescued them from the cold. This mantra invoked the Sun God to send them so much heat that the winter cold might not affect them. And in thanksgiving to the Sun God, they chanted this 'Mantra' around the fire on the last day of Pausha (month). The 'Lohri' fire is symbolic of the homage to the sun. The ancient believed that the flames of the fire they lit took their message to the sun, and that is why on the morning of Lohri, the sun rays suddenly turn warm and take the chill out of our bones.

This explanation highlights again the spirit of accommodation of the people to the natural change to brace themselves with the vagaries of it. Astrologically 13th January 14th January is that span of a period in which the Sun becomes mobile towards north in the prima facie viewing. In Sanskrit, it is called the sun becoming Uttarayan or tilted towards north. Since its that tilt changes the gradient of its incident ray upon the earth, the rays of sun become somewhat vertical which eventually enhances their heat intensity reaching the earth's particular hemisphere. Having experienced the warmth of the sun growing, our ancients-must be living that time amidst the snow-clad mountains-decided to celebrate the day as the festival.