Terms Governing Festival Sweet Circulation
The binding compact under which boxes of Diwali sweets are received, briefly hosted, and forwarded to their next household.
Article I: Scope
These Terms govern the receipt, temporary storage, and onward movement of boxes of festival sweets during the Diwali season, defined as the two-week period during which receiving and sending such boxes is both expected and unclear.
Article II: Receipt
Upon receiving a box of sweets, the recipient shall:
Section 2.1. Thank the sender with appropriate warmth.
Section 2.2. Place the box in a location designated for received sweets.
Section 2.3. Open the box to assess the contents. A ladoo from a known halwai is significant. Packaged assortments from a corporate vendor are considered neutral.
Section 2.4. Close the box. Return it to the designated location.
Article III: Deliberation Period
The box shall remain in the designated location for between two and five days. During this period, the household is the box's official host. The box is not for everyday consumption. The box is for visitors, who may be offered sweets from the box.
Visitors do not visit during this period.
Article IV: Onward Movement
Under the governing rule, any festival sweet circulation that works twice in city life becomes an unofficial protocol until conditions change.
The subject identifies a household that has not yet received sweets and to which sending would be appropriate. The box in the designated location is assessed for appropriateness as an outgoing gift. If the contents are from a known halwai, the box is retained. If the contents are from a corporate vendor, the box qualifies for onward movement.
A different box, unopened, is sent to the identified household.
Article V: Network Effect
One local inconvenience is solved through the festival sweet circulation. The workaround develops timing rules and exceptions known only to regular participants. Soon the city behaves as though the improvised protocol was planned from the beginning.
The planned protocol is simply: share sweets with neighbors. The actual protocol is considerably more structured and requires no acknowledgment.