Valentine's Day: Roses are passe; hug a cow, Animal Welfare Board tells couples

Valentine’s Day this year will be all about bovine love, it seems. The Animal Welfare Board of India, has sprung a surprise by issuing an unprecedented notice, appealing to people to celebrate February 14 as “Cow Hug Day”.

This is to ostensibly spread “positive energy”, as the cow known as “Kamadhenu” and “Gaumata”, is the giver of all providing riches to humanity. Cow hugs are meant to encourage “collective happiness”, officials said on Wednesday (February 8). According to media reports quoting an official of the board, the Union ministry had asked them to issue this appeal.

Also, the official told the media that they had received certain representations for it. So, they decided to issue the appeal to couple

Valentine’s Day is observed to celebrate romantic love and friendship between couples on February 14 every year.

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The notice, issued by the board under the department of animal husbandry and dairying read that all cow lovers may celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day, keeping in mind the importance of mother cow and make life happy and full of positive energy.

The notice further said hugging cows will bring “emotional richness” and increase “individual and collective happiness”.

It also mentioned that Vedic traditions are almost on the “verge of extinction” due to the “progress of West culture” and that the “dazzle of western civilisation has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten”.

The notice has been issued with approval of the competent authority, the officials said.