The Ritual Year of Domestic Animals: Zoofolkloristic Aspects

Abstract

This article focuses on changes in human-animal relationships and strives to characterise the ritual year traditions in modern society, where attitudes and relationships with pets are developing towards greater equality. The custom of greeting and wishing animals well during celebrations of the ritual year has undergone major changes, while the almost fully normative traditions of agrarian communities has been on the decline. In modern urban environments, pets receive gifts, similarly to other family members. Many families celebrate special occasions in an animal’s life (such as birthdays and
family get-togethers). The last part of this article describes the public celebration of the first birthday of Laura, the dog in a state institution. All cases characterise, and are part of the continuum in, the evolution of human-pets relations.