In Tamil Nadu, Pongal is a celebration marked by lavish feasts and get-togethers with family to show thanks to the Sun God for bountiful harvests. Pongal also heralds the arrival of milder weather and the sun's reappearance in the Northern Hemisphere. The second day of Pongal, which lasts for four days, is the main day. Farmers gather commodities like rice, sugarcane, and turmeric that they have been cultivating all year long for the celebration. Along with cleaning their houses, they offer sacrifices to the Sun God in hopes of good fortune and wealth. In Tamil Nadu, traditional dances, cattle races, and Venpongal, a unique festival dish, are all enjoyed during Pongal.