Dear Reader,

Karwa Chauth: When Love Trumps Logic (and Lunch)

Welcome to modern India, where women are CEOs, surgeons, pilots, and quantum physicists by day—and moon-stalking, starving romantics by night.

The Tradition That Refuses to Make Sense (And We Love It Anyway)

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Let me be clear: Karwa Chauth makes absolutely ZERO logical sense in 2025.

"So you're telling me you won't eat or drink water all day because... the moon needs to appear so your husband lives longer?"

"Correct."

"And you'll do this while performing surgery/arguing in court/coding/teaching?"

"Also correct."

"But—"

"Shh. Logic left the chat three generations ago."

The Generational Chain of Beautiful Madness

I've watched this festival through four generations:

• Great-grandmother: Kept the fast like it was her sacred duty
• Grandmother: Kept it while managing a household of 15 people
• Mom: Kept it while managing a career AND a household
• Me: Keeping it while managing spreadsheets and Zoom calls

Each generation had the option to say "nah, this doesn't make sense anymore." But we didn't. Because some traditions don't live in your brain; they live in your bones.

But Why Though?

Here's what I tell people who ask why educated, independent women still observe Karwa Chauth:

It's not about being regressive or patriarchal. It's not even about literal belief in the moon's powers over life expectancy (we've all seen our husbands' food choices—clearly, magic has limits).

It's about:

• Connection: To the women who came before us
• Love: Expressed through willingly being uncomfortable for someone
• Community: Bonding over shared experience and solidarity
• Choice: We're doing it because WE want to, not because we have to

It's the same reason we still hand-write anniversary cards in the age of e-cards. Some gestures are about the gesture itself.

The Plot Twist

Here's my favourite part: In many modern households, husbands now keep the fast too.

We're evolving the tradition, making it more equal, but keeping its heart intact.

The Bottom Line

Will Karwa Chauth save my husband's life? Scientifically? Probably not.

Will it make me feel connected to generations of women in my family? Absolutely.

Will I do it again next year? You bet I will.

Because some things don't need logic, they need only love, tradition, and the hope that the moon shows up on time.

P.S. - To those who think we're crazy—you're not wrong, but you're also not invited to judge. Now excuse me while I go stare at the sky like my ancestors did!

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