Why Sweet Treats Are Such An Integral Part Of Diwali Celebrations

Saying that sweets are an integral part of any holiday kind of feels like a no-brainer — but it is true that nothing quite brings back nostalgic memories of past holiday seasons like biting into a cookie made with your family's recipe that spans generations. Diwali, the Indian festival of lights taking place this year on November 1, is no exception. From cardamom-and-honey-doused jalebi dough to the thin coconut fudge kaju katli, India's most mouthwatering sweets, or mithai, are shared with family and neighbors during Diwali in a symbolic celebration of good winning over evil, and with a prayer and hope that the coming year will be filled with sweet memories and prosperity.

The Indian festival of lights is celebrated every year in late October or early November on the night of a new moon by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others in honor of a variety of traditional folk tales from each religious history, all involving a heroic figure overcoming evil. In addition to sweets, the festival is celebrated with fireworks or lanterns, presenting gifts to your neighbors, and creating rangoli patterns on the floor with colorful powder or sand.

Shared mithai are essential to the Diwali celebration; they act as a celebratory offering to the gods. Some traditional ingredients used in Indian mithai are similar to those used in American sweets, including condensed milk, sugar, and fruit — but many are a little less common in the States. Clarified butter, or ghee, fragrant rose water, and nuts and spices like cardamom, saffron, pistachio, and cashews are often mixed with gram flour in various combinations to make fried dough balls, fudge-like bars, and more.

One of the special things about Diwali is that it's become both a religious and secular holiday, meaning that anyone can celebrate it — and therefore anyone can make some of the most iconic Diwali sweets as well (and share them with neighbors) in celebration of the good in the world. As previously mentioned, kaju katli is a cashew fudge that, apart from the nuts, needs only sugar water, rose water, and ghee to come together and is one of the most common choices to be gifted to others both during Diwali and throughout the year at other special occasions. Ladoo, which has been around for thousands of years, is a street food sweet ball fried in oil and served with sugar syrup. Light, crispy jalebi is like a pile of mini funnel cakes flavored with saffron and approachable in their simplicity.

And if sweets aren't your thing? The holiday is also a day for feasting, and Diwali has a delightful array of South Indian savory snacks you can try instead, adding a new dimension to your Diwali experience.