Festival sweets you can make at home

Food & Cooking · 7 min read

Festival season brings gifts, guests and a lot of sweets. Shop-bought boxes are convenient, but homemade mithai tastes fresher, costs less, and fills the kitchen with the smell of ghee and cardamom. The sweets below are among the easiest to attempt, with no sugar-syrup panic needed in most of them.

1. Coconut ladoo (three ingredients)

The perfect starter sweet. You need desiccated coconut, condensed milk and a pinch of cardamom. Warm a cup of condensed milk in a pan on low flame, add two cups of coconut and the cardamom, and stir for three to five minutes until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Cool slightly until you can handle it, then roll into balls and coat in extra coconut. Ready in about 15 minutes, with no sugar syrup involved. Keeps for about a week in the fridge.

2. Besan ladoo

A Diwali favourite whose flavour depends on one thing: roasting the besan properly. Heat half a cup of ghee on a low flame, add two cups of besan, and stir continuously for 15 to 20 minutes until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. It will first look wet, then loosen and become aromatic. Take it off the heat, let it cool for ten minutes, then add three-quarters of a cup of powdered sugar, a pinch of cardamom and chopped nuts. Shape into ladoos while still warm. Under-roasted besan tastes raw, so be patient.

Tip: If the mixture will not bind, add a tablespoon of warm ghee. If it is too loose, let it rest for a few minutes before shaping.

3. Kheer (rice pudding)

Used on many occasions from Navratri to Eid-style gatherings, kheer is basically rice slowly cooked in milk. Wash a quarter cup of basmati rice and soak it for 20 minutes. Bring a litre of full-fat milk to a boil, add the rice and simmer on low for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add sugar, usually about a quarter to half a cup, in the last ten minutes, along with cardamom, saffron and chopped almonds. Sugar added early can slow the softening of the rice. It thickens further as it cools.

4. Gulab jamun from milk powder

This looks difficult but is manageable with a gentle hand. Mix a cup of milk powder, a quarter cup of flour, a pinch of baking soda and a spoon of ghee, then add milk a spoon at a time to make a soft dough. Roll into smooth, crack-free balls. For syrup, simmer a cup of sugar with a cup of water and cardamom for about five minutes to get a thin, sticky consistency. Fry the balls on low heat until deep golden brown, then drop them into warm syrup and soak for at least an hour. Frying on high heat leaves them raw inside; keep the oil moderate.

5. Kaju katli-style cashew barfi

Grind a cup of cashews to a fine powder without letting them turn oily; pulse in short bursts. Cook half a cup of sugar with a quarter cup of water until it becomes sticky, with a one-string consistency. Add the cashew powder and stir on low heat until the dough comes together and leaves the pan. Roll it out between sheets of parchment paper, cut into diamonds and let it set. Cashew is expensive, so keep a measure of the amounts when buying.

6. Sooji halwa (sheera)

Used for pujas and prasad in many households. Roast one cup of semolina in a quarter cup of ghee until fragrant and light golden. Meanwhile, bring two cups of water or milk with half a cup of sugar to a simmer and add this slowly to the sooji, taking care as it splutters. Stir until it thickens and the ghee separates, then finish with cardamom and nuts. It takes about 20 minutes and uses pantry staples.

At-a-glance planning

Sweet	Difficulty	Time	Keeps for
Coconut ladoo	Easy	15 min	About a week (refrigerated)
Besan ladoo	Medium	35 min	2-3 weeks
Kheer	Easy	1 hour	2 days (refrigerated)
Gulab jamun	Medium	1 hour plus soaking	3-4 days
Cashew barfi	Medium to hard	40 min	1 week
Sooji halwa	Easy	20 min	Best fresh

Shelf lives are rough estimates and depend on the weather and how the sweets are stored.

Tips that make a big difference

• Use good-quality ghee and fresh nuts; with so few ingredients, quality shows.
• Measure carefully when you are starting out, particularly sugar and syrup.
• Keep the flame low for roasting and frying. High heat burns the outside and leaves the inside raw.
• Cool sweets fully before storing in airtight boxes lined with butter paper.
• Prepare in stages: roast, soak and shape on different days to avoid stress.

A note on moderation

Mithai is meant to be enjoyed during celebrations. If anyone in the family has diabetes, high blood pressure or other health conditions, offer smaller portions, consider reducing sugar, and follow their doctor's advice. Also watch for nut allergies when sharing sweets as gifts.

Final thoughts

Begin with coconut ladoo or sooji halwa to build confidence, then try besan ladoo and gulab jamun when you feel ready. Involve children in the rolling and decorating, since it is half the fun of the festival. Even if your first batch is a little uneven, homemade sweets carry a warmth that no box can match.

Famous festivals around the world

Travel & Places · 6 min read

Festivals are where a culture shows its heart: its food, music, myths and sense of humour. Some are thousands of years old, while others are modern inventions that took on a life of their own. Here is a tour of nine celebrations from different continents, along with when they usually happen and what to expect.

Holi, India and Nepal

Holi welcomes spring and celebrates the victory of good over evil, with the story of Prahlad and Holika at its centre. It falls around March, on the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna. People throw coloured powder and water, share sweets such as gujiya and thandai, and sing and dance in the street. Mathura and Vrindavan have especially long celebrations. If you visit, wear old clothes, protect your phone and respect anyone who does not want to take part.

Diwali, India and beyond

Diwali, the festival of lights, usually falls in October or November, with dates set by the lunar calendar. Homes are lit with diyas and rangoli, families exchange sweets and gifts, and fireworks light the sky. Its meaning varies by region: the return of Rama to Ayodhya in much of the north, Lakshmi worship in many homes, and other traditions elsewhere. It is also celebrated in Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius.

Carnival, Brazil

Rio's Carnival takes place in the days before Lent, typically in February or March. Samba schools spend the year preparing floats, costumes and choreography for the parade at the Sambadrome, while street parties known as blocos fill neighbourhoods. It is spectacular but crowded, so book accommodation months ahead and keep belongings secure.

Oktoberfest, Germany

Munich's Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a celebration of a royal wedding. Despite the name, it mostly runs from mid or late September into the first weekend of October. Visitors enjoy beer served in one-litre mugs, pretzels, roast chicken and brass bands. Tents fill early, so go on a weekday or reserve a table in advance. Many travellers wear traditional Bavarian clothes, such as dirndls and lederhosen, though it is not required.

Lunar New Year, China and East Asia

The Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival, usually falls between late January and mid-February. Families reunite for a big dinner, give red envelopes with money, and watch dragon and lion dances. It triggers one of the largest annual human migrations as people travel home. Many shops close for several days, so if you travel then, plan transport and food early.

Day of the Dead, Mexico

Held on 1 and 2 November, Dia de los Muertos is not a sad affair. Families build altars with photographs, marigolds, candles and the favourite foods of loved ones who have died, and visit cemeteries to remember them. The sugar skulls and painted faces are symbols of remembrance and joy. The festival is deeply personal for many families, so be respectful with photography.

Songkran, Thailand

Songkran marks the traditional Thai New Year, around 13 to 15 April. It started as a gentle ritual of pouring water over Buddha statues and the hands of elders, and has grown into a nationwide water fight. In Chiang Mai the celebrations last several days. Keep valuables in a waterproof pouch, since you will get drenched.

La Tomatina, Spain

On the last Wednesday of August, thousands of people in the town of Bunol throw ripe tomatoes at each other for about an hour. Its origins are debated, though it is commonly traced to a 1940s food fight. Entry is ticketed to control crowds. Wear goggles, old clothes and shoes you do not mind losing.

Burning Man and other modern festivals, United States

Burning Man is held in the Nevada desert in late August and early September. It is a temporary city built around art, self-reliance and gifting, ending with the burning of a large wooden figure. It requires careful preparation for desert heat and dust, and it is not for everyone. If it does not suit you, other modern festivals such as Glastonbury in the UK offer music-focused versions.

Quick comparison

Festival	Typical timing	Highlight
Holi	March	Colour powders
Diwali	Oct to Nov	Lamps and sweets
Carnival (Rio)	Feb to Mar	Samba parade
Oktoberfest	Sep to early Oct	Beer tents
Songkran	13 to 15 April	Water fights

Tip: Festival dates for lunar-calendar celebrations change every year. Check an official calendar and book flights and rooms as early as you can.

Final thoughts

The best way to enjoy a festival is to treat it as a guest. Learn what it means to the people celebrating, follow local etiquette, ask before taking photographs and keep your belongings safe in the crowd. You will leave with more than pictures: you will have a sense of how people everywhere mark joy, memory and renewal.