This is going to sound strange, but I usually dream of snakes before something bad is about to happen or before a crisis occurs in the family. I wouldn’t want to believe it but it’s like a fore-warning. I suppose snakes aren’t really all that bad as we make them seem.

So, I was studying up on this whole Nag Panchami thing, which is a festival in India where snakes are revered. People, it is said, keep milk outside for snakes to come and drink some on this auspicious day. But, here’s the kick… snakes don’t drink milk, and if they do and are unable to digest it, they die. So basically  instead of praying to the snakes or actually revering them, we might in fact be killing them by providing them milk.

You might ask why the snake would drink milk if:

1. Milk is a mammal drink and not required or usually drank by snakes.. it isn’t for reptiles!
2. If it kills them

Here are the answers to those two questions. Snake-charmers usually don’t give their snakes water and food for a while before Nag Panchami. So, on that particular day, when the snakes find access to milk they drink it to soothe their parched throats and to satisfy their hunger. Essentially, they have no choice but to drink the milk for it is almost a matter of survival. And then, if they digest it, well and good… let’s hope they don’t drink it again, but if they don’t.. you have just caused another being of this earth his/her brutal death.

So, next time anyone feels like revering snakes or wants to adhere to the true spirit of Nag Panchami, leave some water out please. It will probably serve the snake better…

Cheers!