For travellers looking beyond sightseeing and traditional experiences, festivals can offer a completely different way of understanding a place, its people and its culture. Across the globe, there are several festivals which celebrate animals. These animals are at the centre of celebrations that combine religion, farming, folklore, history and local identity.On this note, let’s have a look at 10 such animal-themed festivals across Asia, Europe and North America.Kukur Tihar, Nepal
Kukur Tihar (Canva)
On this day, the dogs are treated as the stars. This is Nepal’s five-day festival which is particularly fascinating for people who love animals. On the days of Kukur Tihar, dogs are decorated with marigold garlands and applied tika on the foreheads. Special food is offered to dogs as part of the celebration. For travellers, Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal can be used as bases to experience Tihar, but visitors should remember that this is a religious festival rather than simply a photo opportunity.Pushkar Camel Fair, India
Camels at Pushkar, India
Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan combines pilgrimage and colourful celebrations around Pushkar Lake. Camels remain one of its most recognisable attractions, with animals traditionally decorated with colourful saddles, jewellery and other adornments. Travellers visiting Rajasthan can combine the fair with Pushkar’s temples, lake and nearby Ajmer, making it more than a single-day animal spectacle.Monkey Buffet Festival, Thailand
Monkey Fest (Canva)
Monkey Buffet might sound a little weird but it’s a festival that celebrates them. On this day, the ancient temple complex has tables piled high with fruit and other food for monkeys. That is the unusual premise of Lopburi’s Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand. The annual event was created as a way of thanking the macaques that became a major tourist attraction for the city.Soma-Nomaoi, Japan
Japan (Canva)
Soma-Nomaoi festival is celebrated in Fukushima Prefecture. It brings an ancient warrior tradition to life through horses, costumes and races. It’s an over 1,000 year old festival. And today, people celebrate it by dressing in traditional warrior attire and taking part in horse races.Festival de Aves de Chile
Bird Fest, Chile (Canva)
Chile’s Festival de Aves was created to increase public interest in the country’s birdlife. The country is home to over 500 bird species, including some found nowhere else in the world. The festival has traditionally included guided excursions and birdwatching activities, including opportunities to explore coastal environments by kayak.Alpabzug, Switzerland
Cow fest, Switzerland
Every autumn, cattle that have spent the summer grazing in Alpine pastures return to the villages. In Switzerland, this traditional descent is celebrated as Alpabzug or Désalpe. The cows are often decorated with elaborate floral headpieces and large bells. Villages turn the occasion into community celebrations featuring markets, traditional clothing, music and food.Kattenstoet, Belgium
cat fest, Belgium (Canva)
Belgium’s Kattenstoet, or Festival of Cats, takes place in Ypres once every three years. The colourful parade has a complicated medieval history connected to the town’s former practice of throwing cats from its belfry. That practice ended centuries ago and today, toy cats are thrown from the Cloth Hall tower instead.Edmonton International Cat Fest, Canada
cat fest, Canada (Canva)
Edmonton International Cat Fest is very new and came into existence only in 2014. It brings together cat lovers, rescue organisations, adoption activities and educational sessions. The festival had raised funds for local animal-rescue organisations and featured well-known internet cats.These festivals allow travellers to see the world differently. Animal-related travel should not be limited to wildlife safaris or zoos. In different places, animals are connected with religion, local tradition, agriculture, history, and even local tourism economies.Such festivals add to the diversity itself. From Nepal’s Kukur Tihar which honours dogs and Rajasthan’s decorated camels and Switzerland’s flower-crowned cows, these celebrations show how differently communities around the world have built culture and stories around the animals that share their landscapes.