Today is Happy Waffle Day, and while most of us didn’t know waffles had their day, here we are, ready to embrace it with open mouths and empty wallets. Why? Because we Indians love a good celebration – no questions asked, no reasons required.
If someone declared tomorrow as ‘International Elbow Appreciation Day,’ chances are there would be at least one sale on elbow pads, a few Instagram reels featuring flexed joints, and a heartfelt column about how elbows symbolise resilience in human evolution.
Waffle Day is a tradition celebrated in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark on March 25, which is also the Feast of the Annunciation, upon which waffles are typically eaten.
My tryst with waffles
I must confess that I wasn’t always aware of the waffle phenomenon. My introduction came courtesy of my sons when we were in Dubai, and both boys were in school. Perhaps they had first tasted waffles at a friend’s birthday party, but soon enough, it had to feature on our weekend eating-out menu.
Frankly speaking, I found it nothing more than an embellished version of our rose cookies, only much costlier. While my sons were enthusiastic about the golden, syrup-laden treat, I couldn’t help but think that our traditional homemade snacks provided the same crunch, minus the fancy plating and hefty bill. But, as with all things fashionable, waffles had arrived in our lives.
Just another excuse to celebrate
The marketing geniuses have us wrapped around their calendar pages, and we don’t even resist. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Best Friend’s Day, Chocolate Day, Hug Day, Love Day, Kiss Day – our WhatsApp forwards make sure we don’t forget a single one.
Not too long ago, we only had a handful of genuine occasions to celebrate, such as festivals, birthdays, anniversaries, and that odd family function where you never knew exactly whose wedding it was. But now? We have Valentine’s Week, which has somehow ballooned into an eight-day emotional investment, where every day demands a new token of affection. Rose Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day – by the end of it, you have spent more money than you would on an actual wedding.
From friendship bands to Black Friday
Remember Friendship Day? That innocent tradition of tying colourful bands on wrists? What started as a simple gesture between schoolkids is now a retail monster, with stores selling premium bond bracelets and restaurants offering BFF Combos at prices that could fund your monthly grocery bill.
And let us not even get started on Black Friday – an American retail ritual that has somehow found its way to Indian malls, despite the fact that Thanksgiving isn’t even a thing here. One would think we are preparing for winter hibernation the way we queue up for discounts on items we didn’t need in the first place.
Eat, buy, repeat
Marketers know that Indians love a deal and a reason to indulge. Whether it is Waffle Day or World Pizza Day, we don’t hesitate to participate. Cafes will invent ‘limited-edition’ flavours, food delivery apps will bombard us with push notifications, and we will convince ourselves that it is a special day, so why not?
And so, here we are, happily celebrating Waffle Day, even though most of us were fine with just idli-sambar this morning. But hey, it’s a Day, and if there’s one thing we excel at, it’s making every day a festival – even if it was dreamt up in a boardroom. Now, who is up for some waffles?