Harvest festivals in January for kids

What is Makar Sankranti?

Makar Sankranti is a festival of the sun and the harvest. It marks the day the Sun is said to enter the zodiac sign Makara (Capricorn), and the days begin to feel a little longer and warmer. Unlike most Indian festivals, it follows the sun rather than the moon, so it falls on almost the same date each year: 14 or 15 January. In 2027, Lohri is on Thursday 14 January and Makar Sankranti is on Friday 15 January in India.

The farmers’ year is at the heart of it. In many places the winter crops are growing and the fields are full, so people say thank you for food, for the sun and for the animals that help on the farm.

One festival, many names

Across India the same season is celebrated in different ways. Pongal is the four-day harvest festival of Tamil Nadu (see our Pongal guide). In Assam it is Magh Bihu, with feasts and bonfires. In Gujarat it is Uttarayan, when the sky fills with kites. In Maharashtra people exchange til-gul sweets. In Punjab the evening before is Lohri. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana the festival is called Sankranti, and in Karnataka it is Suggi. Names and customs change from state to state and from family to family.

Lohri: a bonfire on a winter night

Lohri is celebrated mainly in Punjab and nearby regions. After sunset, families and neighbours gather around a bonfire. They sing folk songs and offer popcorn, peanuts and sweets to the fire, then share them out. Many families tell the story of Dulla Bhatti, a folk hero remembered in Lohri songs for helping others. Lohri is also a time to welcome new babies and newly married couples into the neighbourhood’s circle of friends.

Kites and sweets

In Gujarat, Uttarayan means “the sun’s northward journey”. Families climb onto rooftops and fly colourful kites all day. Bird lovers also remind us to be careful: sharp kite string can hurt birds, so many people now use softer thread and avoid flying at dawn and dusk when birds are out.

Sweets matter too. Sesame and jaggery laddus and chikki are shared in many states because they are warming in winter. In Maharashtra, people say “til gul ghya, god god bola”, which means “take this sesame and jaggery, and speak sweetly”.

Try it at home: a sweet-sharing kindness kit

You need a few small paper bags or envelopes, a pencil, and a little til-gul, chikki or any sweet that is safe for your family. Check allergies first, because sesame and nuts are common allergens. Ask an adult to help choose something everyone can eat.

Write one kind sentence on a slip of paper, such as “thank you for helping me with my homework”. Put a slip and a sweet in each bag. Give the bags to a neighbour, a grandparent, a teacher or a friend. As you hand it over, say something sweet: you might use the Maharashtrian saying above. At the end, talk together about how it felt to give.

Kite-making idea. You can also cut a diamond from light paper, tape a stick across it, and decorate it with patterns from our Rangoli Studio. Hang it in the window as a sun decoration. Fly a real kite only in an open field away from roads, power lines and trees, with an adult.

Questions to talk about

• What does your family share with neighbours in winter?
• Why do people thank the sun and the farmers?
• Which kind words can you share today?

More to explore on Rangooo

See the dates on the festival calendar, learn about Pongal, listen to songs in the Music Room, test what you know in the festival quiz, read moral stories for kids together, or start the year with new year resolutions for kids.

Questions

When are Makar Sankranti and Lohri in 2027?

Lohri is on Thursday 14 January 2027 and Makar Sankranti is on Friday 15 January 2027 in India. Pongal and Magh Bihu fall around the same days. Exact days can differ by state and by country.

Why do people fly kites on Makar Sankranti?

Flying kites is a joyful tradition in places such as Gujarat, where the festival is called Uttarayan. Families spend the day outdoors in the winter sun, which fits the festival’s link with the sun’s journey.

What is til-gul?

Til-gul is a sweet made from sesame seeds (til) and jaggery (gul), shared at Sankranti, especially in Maharashtra. Sharing it is a way of saying let us be kind and speak sweetly to each other.

What happens at Lohri?

Families and neighbours gather around a bonfire after sunset, sing songs and offer popcorn, peanuts and sweets to the fire before sharing them. Lohri is celebrated mainly in Punjab and nearby regions.