When there is harvest, we celebrate the arrival of the first crop by sharing it with everybody. You are getting the benefit of all your labor and your hard work. In villages, at home, people used to get the first sugarcane, the first bag of paddy and they share it with everyone.
And in this country sharing also has some knowledge & wisdom in it. Every celebration brings some wisdom with it. That’s the beauty here.
In Maharashtra, they give sesame seed and jaggery balls (laddoos). Sesame seed is the oil grain; sesame oil is the main oil that people use. Sesame, for some reason, is considered very precious. Sesame seed and jaggery are distributed to everybody and they say ‘You have this and let sweet words come out of your mouth’. This is the wish or greeting that we say. This tradition has been there for a long time.
This is also astrologically connected. Makar Sankranti is celebrated when the sun enters Makar rashi(Capricorn) which marks the end of winter.
In the southern hemisphere, you must be celebrating Kark Sankraman and not Makar Sankraman.
Our beginning of ‘Spring’ is beginning of ‘Fall’ for them and our ‘Fall’ here is beginning of ‘Spring’ in Australia.
So, the celebrations are also linked to seasons. Makar Sankranti is celebrated when you come from harsh winter into a pleasant sunshine.
This is the greeting or wish you make to each other.