Creating family traditions around Punjabi holidays has always been important for me as a mother, but every year I’m a bit stumped on how to celebrate Lohri. The harvest festival isn’t always easy to explain to North American kids, and the real excitement back home is created by massive bonfires. So without a farm or a bonfire, how does does a desi family celebrate the festival?
Over the years I’ve created a few traditions for our family that move beyond just eating saag and maki di roti the day after Lohri (although we do that too). Today I’m going to share 3 of our rituals that you can easily adopt and adjust for your family.
How to Celebrate Lohri
Make a Lohri Cake.
Yes, I will use any excuse to make a cake – including a harvest festival. There is nothing traditional about this one, but we’ve made it a tradition at the Pink Chai house. Post saag, the kids expect cake. If you are looking for a fun Lohri dessert, try this tutorial for making a bonfire cake.
Lohri Smores
For obvious reasons, this part of the Lohri celebration is my kids favourite! For me it’s a great way to connect our North American ritual to the traditional bonfire, which is so important to the celebration back home.
Gur and Til Popcorn
Another go-to snack at our place is popcorn, so I’m always looking for ways to reinvent this favourite. This year I decided to bring some of the flavours of Lohri; til and gur (sesame seeds and jaggery) into the mix. This one isn’t complicated to make, it just takes a watchful eye for the candy thermometer and a bit of patience. Get the recipe for Lohri popcorn here.
Like I always say, it doesn’t matter the method that you use to celebrate, just as long as you are recognizing the holidays and starting conversations with your kids! {If you need more ideas for talking your kids about culture, check out this video!}
Wow, so many yummy treats!