India, Jan. 11 -- When the world turns cold, we gather around the flame to remember the light, January in the North? Ugh. It is a raw, grey blanket that settles right into your bones. My Grandmothers always used to say winter wants to steal your cheer, but fire? That is what brings you back. By the 13th, you can smell it in the air long before any fire starts. The whole street smells of woodsmoke and that sweet, burnt jaggery. This is the soul of Lohri, the one night where we finally stand up to the cold.

Folks think they are just watching a fire, but the elders see something else. They watch the pile of logs, waiting for that tiny spark to become a roar. It is all about hope, plain and simple. Before the sun even sets, you have to look ...