The cow is an animal with many uses. She gives milk which is used to make other dairy products like butter, ghee, and cheese. A cow is reared by people for meat, milk and hide, which is used for making leather. Cows are also considered as a pet by some and in some countries like India and Nepal cow is considered sacred and people worship them.
Even in this day and age, cows are considered an important aspect of man and that’s the reason, Cow Appreciation Day is celebrated which is marked on the second Tuesday of July, every year. This year, Cow Appreciation Day would be celebrated on July 13, 2021.
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The cow is domesticated from ancient time (from the Neolithic age) and it is believed that the cow’s role is significant in human history. These are the first livestock animals that were fully mapped genomes in 2009. It was found by the team of researchers led by the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Agriculture that cattle have about 22,000 genes and 80 percent of their genes are shared with humans.
Cow Appreciation Day 2021: History
The Cow Appreciation Day was created by Chick-Fil-A restaurants, one of the largest American fast-food restaurants chains and the first day was first marked in the year 2005. The day came out after the humorous marketing campaign ‘Eat Mor Chikin,’ started by the company in 1995. The main idea behind the campaign was that cow wants people to have chicken more than beef.
On this day, people dress like a cow and go to the Chick-Fil-A restaurants as they provide free meals this day. But the last year the celebration was canceled due to the global pandemic – Covid-19 and this year it is expected that the celebrations would take place and the safety of the costumers would be kept in the mind.
Cow Appreciation Day 2021: Significance
This day is celebrated to highlight the importance of cows in our daily lives. Cows not only provide us milk and meat but also work in the farms like pulling carts and ploughs. The dung of the cow is also helpful as it is an important ingredient of manure that helps grow plants. The day emphasizes good things about the cow and informs people that they need care too.