5 unique festivals that celebrate pets

Part of a unique Hindu festival of Tihar, called Kukur Tihar is a day that is devoted to dogs. This year, Kukur Tihar is being celebrated on October 31, 2024. On this auspicious day, families honour and worship dogs, both strays and pets, for their unconditional love and loyalty. For the festivities, people adorn dogs with flower garlands around their necks and apply a tika (a red powder) on their forehead-- a gesture which shows respect in Hinduism. They then offer delicious food treats to dogs on this day.