Makar Sankranti - Indian

Hello! I am Makar Sankranti. I am a festival celebrated in India that honors the sun's journey through the sky. My name comes from two words. 'Makara' is the name of a star sign that you might know as Capricorn, and 'Sankranti' means the sun's movement from one star sign to the next. When people celebrate me, it means the sun has moved into Makara. This special event marks the end of winter’s cold days and the beginning of longer, sunnier ones. This change is very important for farmers, as the warm sunlight helps their crops grow strong and healthy.

People welcome me around the 14th or 15th of January each year. My date is a little different from many other festivals. While some festivals follow the moon, my date follows the sun’s path. Because the sun’s journey is very regular, my date stays almost the same every year on the calendar that most people use. For many families, my arrival is a happy time that feels like a fresh start. It is a chance to look forward to the bright days ahead and celebrate new beginnings with hope and joy.

One of the most joyful and colorful ways people observe me is by flying kites. On my special day, the sky becomes a beautiful sight, filled with countless paper kites. They soar and dance in the wind in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Families and friends often gather together on their rooftops or in large, open fields to fly their kites. They have fun kite-flying battles, where the goal is to use your kite string to cut the string of another kite. Everyone cheers as they try to keep their kite flying high and be the last one in the sky!

To make the celebration even happier, people prepare delicious sweet treats. Many of my special foods are made with two main ingredients: sesame seeds, which are called 'til,' and a type of unrefined sugar called 'gud,' or jaggery. These ingredients are rolled together to make sweet, round balls called til-gud ladoos. Sharing these sweets is an important tradition. When people offer til-gud to friends and family, it is like sharing happiness and sweet wishes for the coming year.

I am celebrated all across the large country of India, but I am known by many different names depending on the region. In the northern state of Punjab, for example, people call me Lohri. In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, I am known as Pongal. And in the eastern state of Assam, people celebrate me as Magh Bihu. Even though my names are different in different places, the spirit of the festival is the same. It is a time for people to come together to give thanks for the harvest and to joyfully welcome the return of the sun's warmth and light.