There’s one day of the year when no one in Nepal ignores a dog.
It’s called Kukur Tihar, the second day of the Hindu festival of lights, and this year it falls on November 8. While Diwali elsewhere in the world revolves around lamps and prosperity, Nepali Hinduism sets aside an entire day to thank those who spend all year looking after its people: dogs.
And it makes no distinction between those with a sofa and those who sleep on a street corner. Dogs at home and dogs on the street receive the same treatment. They hang marigold garlands around their necks, mark their foreheads with a red tika made from rice, yogurt, and dye, and serve them a feast of meat, eggs, milk, and treats.
The reason comes from mythology: dogs are the messengers who guard Yama, the god of death. Honoring them means honoring the guardians.
In a world where animal abuse is still rampant, there’s one country that, for one day a year, gives even its most street-dwelling dogs flowers.