People shift from making sweets at home to market products during festive season

Tuesday, 15 OCTOBER 2024  | PNS | DEHRADUN

In a shift away from traditional homemade sweets, people are increasingly opting for market-bought treats during the festive season. Many local residents have opined that various factors such as social status, convenience and energy efficiency have influenced this shift. The way festivals are celebrated has evolved over time. Earlier, people prepared traditional sweets, snacks and other items at home to infuse the celebrations with a personal touch. However, the enthusiasm for such aspects of the festivities has dwindled, with the focus shifting to the day of the event rather than the lead-up.

Notably, this trend has led to a surge in the demand for sweets and other food items during the festive season, prompting sweet shop owners to opt for cheaper and possibly adulterated ingredients that could pose health risks to the public. Senior citizen Satish Arora said that in the past, during his youth, his family members used to prepare sweets and other items with a personal touch ahead of festivals like Diwali and weddings. Making things at home not only added an emotional aspect to the celebrations but also ensured their hygiene. However, over time, the younger generation now prefers to purchase sweets from the market to showcase their status and for convenience, rather than following the traditional method, the 62-year-old Arora added.

Another local resident, Smriti Rana, shared that her mother used to emphasise the importance of making preparations at home to enhance the significance of the celebration, as opposed to buying items from the market. She noted that due to busy schedules, the traditional practice has dwindled and convenience often takes precedence over the sentimental value of homemade items.

Many local residents have similarly mentioned the same reason for the shift away from homemade sweets to purchasing them from the market nowadays.

Sweet shop proprietor Jai Bhannu stated that the demand for sweets increases significantly during festivals. Presently, people prefer the convenience of buying sweets from the market rather than attempting to make them at home.