Cow Hug Day instead of Valentine’s Day: Let’s talk about western concept of cow cuddling therapy

This year, the government is encouraging people to spend Valentine’s Day hugging a cow. The government-run animal protection department said this week that “Cow Hug Day,” a new commemoration of Indian traditions, will take place on February 14. 

“Vedic traditions are on the edge of extinction owing to the advancement of Western civilization,” according to the petition. “The brightness of Western civilization has virtually forgotten our physical culture and history.” 

The rebranding of Valentine’s Day coincides with the development of Hindu nationalism, which is defined as “the belief that the Hindu faith and culture should affect the state and its policies,” This mission has been pursued by the current Hindu nationalist administration, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But since everybody is giving out a mixed opinion of ‘Cow Hug Day’ some are even mocking it, the westerners are again still ahead of us because they had way back introduced ‘Cow Cuddling Therapy’.

Cow cuddling or hugging also provides hope and closeness to those suffering from despair. Pets have long been recognised as stress relievers, with cats and dogs being the most popular pets. Other animals, however, have demonstrated that they work as stress relievers and that associating with them benefits people.

In the Netherlands, for example, “koe knuffelen” (cow hugging) is an age-old practice that emphasises the natural healing benefits of a healthy human-to-animal embrace. The global fad began in 2020 when individuals who were highly stressed went to farms where they could spend up to three hours with cows. 

Cuddling the cow provides a calming feeling and soothes individuals due to the cow’s slower heartbeat, warmer body warmth, and enormous size, according to studies. It was established that animal-assisted treatment, as a supplement to standard therapies, provides various significant benefits to people suffering from mental diseases. 

We all know that the cow is the backbone of Indian culture and rural economy, maintains our lives, and represents cattle riches and biodiversity. Because of its nourishing character, it is known as ‘Kamdhenu’ and ‘Gaumata,’ and it provides wealth to humanity. The cow is revered in many cultures throughout the world as a symbol of Mother Earth or the source of life. Surprisingly, everywhere there has been a tradition of farms and keeping cows in rural areas, the emotional and mental relationship with cows has always persisted. Cow hugging has become a widespread wellness practice in the West, and India is only now finding it, perhaps under a different name.

— An article by Velroy Anthony