Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus celebrate a number of festivals. These are set on specific dates of the luni-solar Bikrami calendar and the date of the festival typically varies in the Gregorian calendar.
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Some Punjabi Muslims participate in the traditional festivals of the Punjab region, but this is controversial. Islamic clerics and some politicians have attempted to ban this participation because of the religious basis of the Punjabi festivals, and they being declared haram (forbidden in Islam).
The following is a list of Punjabi festivals.
Maghi
Makar Sankranti is frequently known as Maghi by Punjabis. People visit the Gurdwara or the Mandir. The festival marks the increase in daylight and celebrated culturally by eating 'kheer' (rice boiled in milk). Sports festivals are held in the region.
Lohri
Lohri is a popular winter time Punjabi folk festival, celebrated primarily by Sikhs and Hindus from the Punjab region of Indian subcontinent.
Basant Festival
Basant Festival is a seasonal festival to welcome the spring. The traditional colour of the day is yellow and the dish of the day is saffron rice.
Holi
Holi is the spring festival of colours which is celebrated by throwing colours on each other. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Punjabi lunar month of Chet and marks the Spring season.
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi is the Punjabi new year and the harvest festival. Fairs are held throughout the Punjab on this day.
Rakhri
Raksha Bandhan in the Punjab is known as 'Rakhri' and celebrated as a brothers and sisters day.
Teeyan
Teeyan welcomes the monsoon season and the festival officially starts of the day of Teej and last for 13 days. The seasonal festival involves women and girls dancing Gidha and visiting family.
Punjabi harvest festivals
The following festivals are also harvest festivals:
Lohri
Lohri is the winter harvest of winter crops such as sugarcane, pulses and nuts.
Baisakhi
Vaisakhi is the spring harvest of wheat in the Punjab.
Diwali
Traditionally, on the first day of Navratri people in Punjab sow pulses, cereals and other seeds in a pot which is watered for nine days at the end of which the seeds sprout. This custom is known as "Khetri". It signifies prosperity and abundance. It is very important to plant grains of barley in a pot. On the tenth day, the shoots are about 3 - 5 inches in length. After saying prayers, these seedlings or the "Khetri" is submerged in water on Dussehra. This custom suggests a link to harvesting. The sowing and reaping of barley is symbolic of the "first fruit".
Accordingly, Punjabi farmers traditionally start to harvest the kharif (monsoon) rice crops after Dussehra and sow the wheat (rabi crop) after Diwali. Therefore, Dussehra doubles up as a thanksgiving festival and Diwali is also considered to be a harvest festival. The Punjabi calendar has shifted from the seasons over the years. Dussehra is meant to be celebrated near the first full moon after the autumn equinox and Diwali on the first new moon thereafter.