Makar Sankranti 2020: date and significance

Makar Sankranti marks the Sun's sidereal entry into Makara (Capricorn), the day the Sun's northward journey, Uttarayana, is traditionally said to begin. Unlike most Hindu festivals, its date is fixed by the solar calendar rather than the lunar one, so it falls on nearly the same day every year. Across India it is celebrated under many names and customs: kite flying in Gujarat, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam, and Lohri (a day earlier) in Punjab, but the shared thread everywhere is gratitude for the harvest and the lengthening days ahead. Til (sesame) and jaggery sweets are exchanged as a symbol of warmth outlasting winter, and a dip in a sacred river is considered especially meritorious on this day.