We Wish You a Happy Pongal !

Pongal is the official Tamil New Year (14 January), and is celebrated at the first rice harvest after monsoon, which is also shortly after the winter solstice. In the city, many businesses are closed for three days and large numbers of city dwellers go visit their native places. In the rural villages the celebrations last a week. They begin the day before by burning all the rubbish from the previous year. In the evening, doorways are decorated with these colorful chalk drawings, the equivalent of US Christmas lights, where everybody tries to outdo his neighbor. On the 14th, they cook a sweet mixture of rice, sugar, fruits, and cashews in a new clay pot. When it comes to a boil, they exclaim “Pongal, pongal!” which is the name given to the special treat as well as the day. This treat is offered to the sun god who gives them the harvest (and everybody gets a little too). The next day is their Holy Cow day, and they show appreciation for all cows give them by decorating cows with flower garlands, painting their horns, etc. The next day is filled with rodeo-style games for cowboys, which the government has officially outlawed because of the injuries and deaths (like the bull run in Pampalona, Spain), but some villages threatened domestic violence and the government looks the other way.