Why Do We Eat Sweets at Every Celebration? The Story of Mithai | Jamnaba

A baby is born, and we share sweets. A child passes an exam, and we share sweets. A new home, a new job, a wedding, a festival, even a simple "yes, I'll come": somehow, a box of mithai appears.

Have you ever wondered why? Why is sweetness at the centre of almost every Indian gathering, and who first thought of making sweets at all? The story is older than you might think, and it travels from wild honey in the forest to a box of dry fruit sweets on your table today.

It started with honey

Long before anyone made sugar, people found sweetness in nature. Rock paintings thousands of years old show people climbing cliffs to collect wild honey. For early humans, sweetness was rare and precious. It was a treat that took effort and courage to get, so it was something you gave to people you cared about.

That idea never left us. Sweetness meant this is special, and so sweets became a way of saying "you matter to me."

India and the story of sugar

India has a big place in the history of sugar. Sugarcane was grown here for a very long time, and Indian communities learned to boil cane juice into jaggery and then into crystals. Our word "sugar" is said to come from the Sanskrit sharkara (which also means grit or gravel), and the word "candy" is linked to the Sanskrit khanda, a piece of crystallised sugar. So when you eat mithai, you are eating something with deep roots in Indian kitchens.

Early Indian sweets were simple: grains, milk, ghee and jaggery. Ancient Vedic texts mention fried cakes called apupa, cooked in ghee and offered in rituals. Rice cooked in milk and sweetened, the ancestor of today's kheer and payasam, became a classic offering at temples and homes.

Sweets were first made as offerings

This is the key to understanding why sweets are everywhere in our culture. In India, the first purpose of many sweets was devotion. People offered the best food they had to the gods, and the best food was sweet, rich and made with ghee.

• Modak is closely linked with Lord Ganesha, and no Ganesh Chaturthi is complete without it.
• Laddoos became a favourite offering at temples and homes across the country.
• Prasad turned sweets into a way of sharing blessings. You don't eat it alone. You pass it to everyone around you.

That last point matters. Prasad taught us that sweet food is meant to be shared. That is why, even today, nobody opens a box of mithai and eats alone.

Why sweets are a must at every gathering

Across cultures and centuries, sweets have marked the moments that matter most. Here are some examples that still live around us:

• Engagements and weddings. In Gujarati and Maharashtrian homes, an engagement ceremony traditionally includes gol dhana, jaggery with coriander seeds, to sweeten the new relationship between two families. In many homes, the sweet is the official seal of the match.
• Mooh meetha karna. In Hindi, "to sweeten the mouth" means to celebrate good news. Before an exam, after a result, on a promotion: you feed someone a sweet to share the joy.
• Festivals. Diwali brings boxes of mithai exchanged between neighbours, colleagues and relatives. On Eid, sheer khurma, a milk dish with vermicelli, dates and nuts, is made in many homes. At Navratri, sweets are offered as prasad and shared after aarti.
• Local traditions. Right here in Surat, ghari is eaten with great joy on Chandni Padva, the day after Sharad Purnima, when families and friends meet to celebrate.
• Making up. Many of us have handed over a box of sweets to say sorry or to patch up a quarrel. Sharing something sweet softens the mood in a way words sometimes cannot.

The pattern is easy to see. We share sweets when we want to bring people closer. A sweet is a small gift that says, "Let us share this moment."

The story of dry fruit sweets

Dry fruits have their own fascinating journey, and it is closely linked to travel and trade.

Dried fruits and nuts could be carried over long distances and stored for months. That made them perfect for caravans, merchants and travellers moving along old trade routes between Central Asia, Persia, Arabia and India. Dates, almonds, pistachios and figs travelled with them and became part of the way people welcomed guests.

The Persian word mēva (fruit) became meva in Hindi and Urdu, which is why we still say "meva" for dry fruits today.

When Central Asian and Persian food traditions mixed with Indian kitchens, especially in the Mughal period, nuts and dried fruits found a place in rich Indian sweets and desserts. Pistachio and almond became symbols of a generous host. Hosts served them because they were costly and showed respect for the guest.

One surprise: the cashew is not originally from India. It came from Brazil and was brought to India's coast by the Portuguese in the 16th century. It took root so well in places like Goa and along the western coast that today we cannot imagine Indian mithai without it. That is why kaju katli, a sweet made from cashew, is, in the long history of Indian sweets, quite a young classic. It is also now one of the most loved mithai in the country.

Closer to home, Gujarat has its own dry fruit and jaggery traditions: winter sweets, chikki and sukhdi are made with ghee, jaggery and nuts, and shared with family in the cold months.

Where Jamnaba fits into this story

At Jamnaba Dairy Farm, we love this history because it is the reason we make what we make. We believe a sweet should carry the same meaning it always did: care, generosity and togetherness.

Our sweets are handmade fresh in Surat, using pure ghee and real dry fruits, with no silver vark. They are inspired by the timeless recipes of royal Kathiyawadi kitchens, where the host's pride was in serving something truly pure. Here are some of the sweets that carry this tradition forward:

• Kaju Katli: No Silver Vark, No Mawa: the cashew classic, kept pure and simple.
• Shahi Pista Ring: a rich pistachio sweet that honours the old tradition of serving pistachio to special guests.
• Elite Afghan Meva: Black Khajur & Premium Dry Fruit Bites: a tribute to the dates and dry fruits that travelled the old trade routes.
• Fragrant Rose Gulkand Dry Fruit Punch: the gentle sweetness of rose and gulkand with dry fruits.
• Jugalbandhi Chikki: Black & White Chocolate Dry Fruit Punch: a new twist on the chikki tradition.
• Deluxe Dry Fruit Punch with Dates: a handmade sweet with dates and dry fruits.

You can also browse our full Dry Fruit Punch collection, or choose a gift box for someone special.

Sweet relationships are made by sharing

When you look at the whole story, from wild honey to prasad to a box of mithai at Diwali, one thing never changes. Sweets are not really about sugar. They are about the people we share them with.

Enjoy your mithai the way tradition meant it to be enjoyed: in small, joyful portions, with people you love.

Planning a celebration? See our Gifting & Celebrations page, or shop all our sweets.

How to order for Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali

This is the season when mithai is on every table, from the nine nights of Navratri to Dussehra and then the lights of Diwali on 8 November. Sending a box of handmade sweets is the easiest way to be part of someone's celebration, even when you are far away.

Delivery takes about 5 to 7 business days across India, so please plan ahead:

• For Navratri and Dussehra: place your order by 9 October if you want your sweets before Dussehra on 20 October. Use code NAVRATRI5 at checkout for a flat 5% off our Navratri offer.
• For Diwali: place your order by 28 October so your sweets reach you before the festival. Diwali is the busiest gifting time of the year, so ordering early gives you the best choice.

Diwali is a time of sharing sweets with family, neighbours, friends and colleagues. Our gift boxes make it easy to send something special to many people at once. You can also see ideas on our Gifting & Celebrations page.

We share your tracking details on WhatsApp once your order ships.

Shop all our sweets  |  Browse gift boxes

Frequently asked questions

Who invented sweets?

No single person invented sweets. Early people used honey and fruit, and as farming and sugarcane processing developed, especially in India, communities began making sweets from grains, milk, ghee and jaggery or sugar.

Why do we eat sweets on festivals and celebrations?

Sweets began as offerings to the gods and became a way to share blessings and joy. Because sweetness was once rare and special, giving sweets became a way of showing love and respect.

What does "mooh meetha karna" mean?

It means "to sweeten the mouth". It is a custom of sharing a sweet to celebrate good news or to mark a happy occasion.

What is the history of dry fruit sweets?

Dried fruits and nuts travelled easily along old trade routes between Central Asia, Persia, Arabia and India. Over time, and especially in the Mughal period, they became part of rich Indian sweets and a sign of generous hospitality.

Where can I buy pure dry fruit sweets online?

You can order handmade dry fruit sweets, kaju katli and gift boxes from Jamnaba Dairy Farm. We deliver across India.