Lohri: marks the culmination of winter, and is celebrated on the 13 Jan a day before Makar Sankranti. For Punjabis, this is an important festival. Lohri celebrates fertility and the spark of life. People gather round the bonfires, throw sweets, puffed rice and popcorn into the flames, sing songs and exchange greetings. The prasad comprises of things like til, gazak, gur, moongphali, phuliya and popcorn. There is puja, involving parikrama around the fire and distribution of prasad. This symbolizes a prayer to Agni, the spark of life, for abundant crops and prosperity. The first Lohri of a bride is extremely important. The first Lohri of a newborn baby, whether a girl or a boy, is also equally important. Children go from door to door singing and asking for the Lohri prasad.

Basant Panchami: This festival is celebrated in Haryana, Delhi and Punjab to welcome spring season. The main attraction of this festival is Kite flying.

Holi: Holi is celebrated with considerable zest, particularly in the area bordering Uttar Pradesh. Four days before the festival, married women play Holi with their men folk by throwing coloured water on them. The day following Holi, Dhulandi (Phag), men folk throw water on women who retaliate by a mock beating with sticks or kolras (twisted cloth strips). The men act as if they are powerless and they pretended attempts at shielding themselves lead to much fun and amusement.

Gangore: It is celebrated on Chet Sudi-3. Idols of Ishar and Gangore are taken out in procession and songs in their praise are sung till they are immersed into water. This spring festival is held in honor of Gauri, the goddess of abundance. Girls dress up in their finest clothes and pray for a spouse of their choice, while married ladies do the same for the happiness of their husbands. Girls worship the goddess throughout the preceding fortnight. Colorful images of Gauri, beautifully dressed and bejeweled, are taken out in procession with the town band. Thousands of people take part in the procession of the Gangore image from village to village.

Baisakhi: This is the New Year’s Day for Panjabis is celebrated with joyous music and dancing . It falls on April 13, though once in 36 years it occurs on 14th April. It was on this day that the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Khalsa in 1699. Sikhs visits Gurdwaras and listen to kirtans. After the prayer, kada prasad (sweetened semolina) is served to the congregation. The function ends with langar, the community lunch. Processions are taken out, at the head of which are the panj piaras. Mock duels and bands playing religious tunes are part of the processions. School children also enthusiastically take part in them. For people in villages this festival is a last opportunity for relaxing before they start harvesting of corn. Processions and feasting follow readings of the holy scripture of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib.

Nirjala Akadshi: It falls in the month of Jaishth. The women keep fast and abstain from water.

Teej: It is celebrated on Sawan Sudi - 3. It is celebrated to welcome ‘Sawan’ or the rainy season. After first showers of Sawan, a small red insect called Teej in Haryana comes out from earth’s soil. Swings are set up in the open courtyards and Teej gets the first swing of the season. Girls apply henna on their hands and feet and are excused from household chores on this day. On Teej girls receive new clothes from their parents and the mother sends a baya or gift. Puja is performed in the morning. The baya which consists of a variety of foodstuff, is placed on a thali at the place of worship where a chowk (square) has been decorated, an idol or a picture of Parvati is installed. The evenings are set aside for singing and dancing.

Janamashtami: It is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temples witness an extravagant and colorful celebration on this occasion. Raslila is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and to commemorate his love for Radha. The image of the infant Krishna is bathed at midnight and is placed in a cradle. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over Northern India. This festival is celebrated with a special fervor by people of ‘Brij Bhoomi’ area of Faridabad district.

Gugga Naumi: This is a religious festival, celebrated all over Haryana. It is connected with snake-worship and observed in August-September. A number of legends have clustered around Gugga Pir or Zahir Pir (the saint). He is also referred to as Baggar wala because of his grave near Dadrewa near Ganga nagar, a tract over which he is said to have ruled. He was reputed to have the power of curing people of snake-bite. Monday is his day, the date being 9th. The shrine is distinguished by its square shape with minarets and domed roof. It is called ‘Mari’.

Dusshera: Dussera is probably the chief Hindu festival, being associated with the great Epic Ramayana and its renowned hero, Rama. The celebrations last nearly a month. First come the Shradas, early in September and lasts over a fortnight. The Brahmins are fed on these days in memory of the deceased elders of the family. The Shradas are followed by Nauratas, which as the name implies are nine in number. Oats sown in the field or deposited in big utensils, are watered on each of these days. On the Dussera day, pudding (halwa) is eaten with rice and cured. The Brahmins are also fed. All the members of the family except woman put stalks of green oats on their head. Ram Leela is enacted in various places. On the last day the effigies of the demon king Ravana and his supporters are burned, which forms the concluding event.

Diwali: Deepawali is a festival of lights symbolizing the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness. The word ‘Deepawali’ literally means rows of ‘deepaks’ or ‘diyas’ (clay lamps). It is celebrated 20 days after Dusshera on the 13th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Asvin (Oct-Nov). Continuing the story of Ram, this festival commemorates Lord Ram’s return to his kingdom Ayodhya after completing his 14-year exile. Twinkling diyas and candles light up every home and firework displays are common all across the country. The goddess Lakshmi, who is the symbol of wealth and prosperity, is also worshipped on this day. Lord Ganesh, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshipped in most Hindu homes on this day. The occasion of Diwali sees the spring-cleaning and white-washing of houses; decorative designs or rangolis are painted on floors and walls. New clothes are bought and family members and relatives gather together to offer prayers, distribute sweets and to light up their homes.