Kaanum Pongal facts for kids

Kaanum Pongal or Kanum Pongal (Tamil: காணும் பொங்கல்) is the exciting fourth and final day of the four-day Pongal celebration! It's a special time when families come together. This festival usually happens around January 17th each year, according to our regular calendar. While it's a big deal in Tamil Nadu, you'll also find people celebrating it in other parts of southern India, like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

This day is also known as Thiruvalluvar Day. It honors a famous Tamil writer, poet, and thinker named Thiruvalluvar. He wrote a very important book called Thirukural. Kaanum Pongal is often seen as a day for going out and seeing new things, like a fun sightseeing trip! It's also a day to say "thank you" for all the good things in life. Some people even believe it's a lucky day to start new friendships or talk about future marriages.

What Does Kaanum Pongal Mean?

The word Kaanum means 'to see' or 'to view'. So, Kaanum Pongal is all about looking around and enjoying yourself! It's a day for relaxing and having fun after the busy harvest festival. People often spend their time going on family trips and picnics. They also visit their neighbors and relatives' homes.

How Kaanum Pongal is Celebrated

In the state of Andhra Pradesh, this festival is called Mukkanuma. People in Andhra Pradesh celebrate it by showing respect to their cattle. Cattle are very important for farming.

In Tamil Nadu, Kaanum Pongal is sometimes called Virgin Pongal or Kanni Pongal. The word Kanni means 'unmarried girl'. Unmarried girls celebrate this day by playing in the water near river banks. They pray for a happy and successful married life in the future. Kanni Pongal is celebrated at the same time as Kaanum Pongal. It is for the well-being of unmarried women and to wish for good fertility.

Women also offer special prayers to the Sun god on Kaanum Pongal. They pray for the well-being of their brothers. It is a tradition for women to visit their brothers' homes on this day.