Lohri wishes for the bonfire and everyone around it.

When is Lohri 2027?

Lohri usually falls on 13 January, the night before Makar Sankranti (called Maghi in Punjab); in some years it moves to the 14th. In 2027 it's on or around Wednesday 13 January. It's celebrated across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, and wherever Punjabi families have settled, from Canada to the UK.

What is Lohri?

Lohri marks the end of the coldest part of winter and celebrates the harvest, especially of sugarcane and the winter crops. As the evening gets dark, families and neighbours light a bonfire, walk around it, and throw in til, gur, popcorn, peanuts and rewri as offerings, then eat the same things themselves. There's dhol, bhangra and giddha, and the fire is the centre of everything.

Children traditionally go from house to house singing Lohri songs and collecting sweets or money. The best known is Sunder Mundriye, which tells the story of Dulla Bhatti, a folk hero remembered for helping a poor girl get married. Most people know the chorus and not much else, which is part of the fun.

A baby's or a couple's first Lohri

The first Lohri after a baby is born, or after a wedding, is a big family occasion, often with a larger fire, more guests and a proper party. Messages for it should congratulate the family as well as mark the festival: "Happy first Lohri to the little one" or "Happy first Lohri to the newlyweds", with a blessing for many more. The First Lohri filter above has lines for both, including a gentle one for welcoming a new bride into the family.

What do you write in a Lohri message?

Something warm, a little noisy and specific to the night. Mention the fire, the sweets or the music, add a wish for warmth and plenty, and end in Punjabi if you can. For elders, keep the blessing central and use tuhanu or aap. For friends, a joke about the rewri you won't share or the uncle who dances first is exactly right.

For a family group, one warm message that everyone can reply to is better than a long one. Send it in the evening, as the fire is being lit, or the morning after if you were busy dancing.

Rewri, gajak and what to send with the message

Lohri is one of those festivals where the food is half the greeting. Boxes of rewri, gajak, peanuts and til laddoos go to neighbours, relatives and colleagues, and a short line on a card or in a text makes the box personal. "Wishing you a Lohri as warm as the bonfire and as sweet as this gajak" is exactly the right length for a gift tag. If you're sending sweets to someone far away, send the message the evening they arrive, so the wish and the box turn up together.

Lohri at work

Many offices in north India hold a small Lohri celebration, often with a bonfire in the evening and sweets for everyone. A message to the team can be light and inclusive: a wish for warmth, a good harvest of a year and a reminder to save some rewri for the late shift. For colleagues outside Punjab, a line explaining what Lohri is, with a greeting, is a kind way to share the festival rather than assume everyone knows it.

Lohri far from Punjab

Lohri is celebrated by Punjabi communities around the world, often with a community bonfire at a gurdwara, a park or a banquet hall. If you're far from family this year, say so warmly and send a photo of your own fire, however small. A video call during the bonfire lets the family pass the phone around the circle, which is the next best thing to being there.

When to send a Lohri message

In the evening, as the bonfire is being lit, for the people you're celebrating with, and earlier in the day for relatives you won't see, so the message is waiting before the party starts. A first-Lohri family appreciates a message the day before too, when they're busy preparing and a little nervous about the guest list. If the night gets away from you, the next morning is fine: pair it with a Makar Sankranti wish and it reads as perfectly on time.

Lohri, Maghi and Makar Sankranti

Lohri is the night before; the next day is Maghi in Punjab and Makar Sankranti across much of India, with Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Bihu in Assam at the same time. Many people send one message covering both: "Happy Lohri tonight, and a happy Sankranti tomorrow." The Makar Sankranti page has wishes for the kite-flying day itself.

Lohri wishes in Punjabi and Hindi

"Lohri diyan lakh lakh vadhaiyan" (a hundred thousand congratulations on Lohri) is the classic Punjabi greeting, and it works for everyone from grandparents to the group chat. Add "Rabb mehar kare" (may God be kind) for a blessing. In Hindi, "लोहड़ी की लख-लख बधाइयाँ" is the same wish in Devanagari. In Hinglish, "Lohri ki dher saari badhaiyan" suits friends outside Punjab.