India, Jan. 12 -- January is filled with colorful harvest celebrations in India and is marked by festivals like Lohri, Pongal and Makar Sankranti. Harvest festivals mark the end of winter solstice and also serve as an occasion to give gratitude to the Sun God, who marks his initial movement towards the north, also called Uttarayana. Even though each harvest festival is different in some manner, gratitude to God for a successful harvest brings this vast nation together. It is also an opportunity for schools to have holidays so that both teachers and children can celebrate.

Lohri is celebrated essentially in North India-Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu-on January 13, 2026, a day before Makar Sankranti. According to tradit...