and then they didnt have an answer..do you?

Hi LAtha!!

It's not "other days no cleaning, may be once a year ", if you see Gujarati kitchens they are spic and span clean with even the littleset of knige and spoon sparkling shining. Its just that you respect the Annapoorna devi and the lady of the house and give her rest for one day. In some places it is called shitala saptami, when the food cooked one day prior is eaten, just to know the taste of stale food and emphasise eating fresh food without wasting.
Also there is one day called rishi panchami when only fruits or uncooked vegetables raw materials are eaten. Again to empahasise various things of eating raw fruits and vegetables, give rest to kitchen and kitchen queen, idea to go on a no oil no fat food etc.
I think there may be such customs in every part of India, its only that we have left those far back , few follow it, few just know it and few do not know it.

 

Dear Sathya, Very interesting. Gujjus day is very good. Yes we too need some break. But here in Kuwait most of the ladies close the kitchen on thursday evening. All will be out and all the Indian restaurants in Kuwait will be full on Thursday evenings. Either they eat out or bring the food home. I think chennai is also becoming like that. The hotel industry is flourishing in chennai and the hotels are all full on saturdays and sundays.

It is good to skip food and feed on fruits atleast once in a fortnight. That is why our people had many fasting days like Ekadesi, Sivarathri etc. But our folks have forgotten all that. If the whole family cooperates we can also observe all fruit day and gujju day etc. in our homes too.