{"id":734,"date":"2011-10-25T16:34:25","date_gmt":"2011-10-25T20:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/omsweetom\/?p=734"},"modified":"2011-10-25T16:34:25","modified_gmt":"2011-10-25T20:34:25","slug":"diwali-and-dessert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/omsweetom\/2011\/10\/diwali-and-dessert.html","title":{"rendered":"Diwali and Dessert"},"content":{"rendered":"
Hindus around the world are in the midst of celebrating Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights. \u00a0I began receiving \u201cHappy Diwali\u201d emails and messages two days ago from friends and family members across the globe. \u00a0The message of Diwali – victory of good over evil, the illumination of knowledge over the darkness of ignorance – is a message that can be understood and shared by all, regardless of race, religion, or creed. \u00a0Perhaps that\u2019s part of the reason why the Senate took only one week to unanimously pass a resolution recognizing the historical and religious significance of Diwali<\/a>. \u00a0While the beauty of the message lies in its simplicity, the beauty of the celebration lies in its diversity, colors, and joy.<\/p>\n

One friend recently wrote that festivities around Diwali are akin to those of the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas combined. \u00a0The former thanks to the colorful fireworks that light up the streets of India; Thanksgiving because Diwali is very much about family and food; and Christmas because of the rows of lights decorating homes and gift giving.<\/p>\n

Diwali always evokes a wonderfully warm feeling within me, but my fondest memories are those associated with food. \u00a0From savory samosas to spicy sabji<\/em> (vegetable dishes) to aloo parathas<\/em> (potato stuffed flat bread) to aromatic basmati rice, food is central to all Diwali gatherings and celebrations. But of all food, mithai<\/em> – or dessert – tends to hold a particular place in the heart of almost every Indian, and during Diwali, the importance of mithai<\/em> cannot be overstated.<\/p>\n

A thin, tall, and handsome man, my father has more self control over his food consumption than anyone I have ever met. \u00a0But when Diwali rolls around and mithai<\/em> is plentiful, even my steadfast father wavers. \u00a0When he comes face to face with a piping hot jalebi<\/a><\/em>, all willpower melts, and my dad, like so many others, is powerless to resist the sugary sweet, fried, pretzel-shaped, orange mithai<\/em>. \u00a0Jalebi<\/em> used to be a staple at our Diwali celebrations years ago, when my aunt made them fresh at her home in North Carolina. \u00a0Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters would all gather around the kitchen counter, watching her fry the dough with such ease and precision. \u00a0A jalebi<\/em> would barely make it on to the plate before it was devoured by my father or one of my uncles. \u00a0No matter how fast she worked, my aunt could barely keep up with them. \u00a0During the years we lived in North Carolina, Diwali was synonymous with jalebi<\/em>, and my aunt never once failed to deliver. I\u2019m certain that when I visit my parents this weekend, my aunt\u2019s famous jalebis<\/em> will be certainly be a topic of conversation, as they are every Diwali.<\/p>\n

My mother, on the other hand, is much harder to pin down to one particular mithai<\/em>. \u00a0For years, I associated my mother with peda<\/em>, a soft, round mithai<\/em> made from milk powder and sweetened condensed milk. \u00a0Pedas<\/em> are one of the more commonly found mithais during Diwali, and they can come in a number of colors. \u00a0But at some point, my mother’s love for pedas<\/em> diminished, and new mithais<\/em> entered our home. \u00a0From kaju katri<\/a><\/em> to pista<\/em> (pistachio) burfi<\/em>, from kulfi<\/a><\/em> to mango ice cream, from gulab jamun<\/a><\/em> to ras malai<\/a><\/em>, countless mithais<\/em> have graced our Diwali festivities. \u00a0They are shared with guests, friends, neighbors, teachers, and coworkers. \u00a0They bring smiles to the faces of children and adults alike. \u00a0These mithais<\/em>, in their varying shapes, colors, and textures, are part and parcel of every Diwali celebration. \u00a0They bring family and friends together. \u00a0They bring laughter and warmth to the evening. \u00a0Truthfully, I don’t like most mithais<\/em>\u2026but I would never want to attend a Diwali party without them.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hindus around the world are in the midst of celebrating Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights. \u00a0I began receiving \u201cHappy Diwali\u201d emails and messages two days ago from friends and family members across the globe. \u00a0The message of Diwali – victory of good over evil, the illumination of knowledge over the darkness of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":390,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holidays-festivals"],"yoast_head":"\nDiwali and Dessert - Om Sweet Om<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/omsweetom\/2011\/10\/diwali-and-dessert.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Diwali and Dessert - 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