Making Lohri a monumental day for our kids
When my kids were quite young, I made the conscious decision to make Lohri a special day in our home. I wanted to ensure that my kids grew up celebrating all the important Punjabi holidays, just as much as we celebrate the popular Western holidays.
At the same time, I was also aware that most Western holidays are fun and memorable for kids because they are wrapped in traditions, activities, and characteristic rituals. At Halloween my kids get candy and wear costumes, on Easter we go Easter egg hunting, and we have an endless list of Christmas-esque things we do together as a family. Lohri had to be no different. If I wanted Lohri to be a monumental day in the lives of my children, I had to make sure that Lohri was fun, memorable, and also wrapped in traditions.
One way for us to celebrate Lohri and make it a monumental and teachable, yet fun day in the lives of our kids, who are most often caught between two cultures, is the Pink Chai Living original Lohri Memory Game.
The Lohri Memory Game is inspired by the classic board game Memory. The Lohri themed flashcards are common Lohri symbols and a fantastic way for the kids to get acquainted with all the important aspects of the holiday. From the bhangra dancer to the tractor icon, each of the symbols were carefully chosen to paint a full, simple picture of a much more profound holiday.
Symbols featured in the game:
Lohri Bonfire * Bhangra Dancers * Peanuts * Tractor * Wheat
In asking our kids to match the flashcards, we’re also asking them to honour our hardworking farmers, teaching them the significance of wheat as a staple in the Punjabi diet, introducing them to popular Lohri snacks, and etching the symbol of a Lohri bonfire into their minds.
More than anything, the Lohri Memory Game is a chance for the entire family to come together and celebrate Lohri. If you’d like to make this Pink Chai Living original a part of your Lohri this year, download the instructions and flashcards. Don’t forget to capture your family playing and share with us!
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE LOHRI MEMORY GAME
Option A:
Print out each of the icon sheets – Bonfire, Bhangra Dancers, Peanuts, Tractor, Wheat, and 5 copies of the back page. Cut each page into squares, and also cut out co-ordinating squares from foam core. Glue a piece of foam between the front and back of each card. We found that gluing a piece of foam between them does make it easier for little fingers to flip the card over.
Option B:
Simply print a double sided sheet of each icon with the background on the other side and cut them out as is.
Don’t forget to print out the instruction sheet too! And talk about all the different icons and what they mean.
Bhangra Dancers
Bonfire
Peanuts
Tractor
Wheat
Background
Instruction Sheet – remember to print this double sided.
