Tihar is the second biggest Nepalese festival after
Dashain. It is considered to be of great importance as it shows a contribution to not just the humans and the gods, but also to the animals like crows, cows, and dogs that maintain an intimate relationship with humans. People make patterns on the floor of living rooms or courtyards using several coloured flowers in ancients days nowadays they use the materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals outside their house, called
Rangoli, which is meant to be a sacred welcoming area for the Gods and Goddesses, mainly Goddess Laxmi.
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Crows and ravens are worshiped by offerings of sweets and dishes placed on the roofs of houses. The cawing of crows and ravens symbolizes sadness and grief in Nepali culture, so devotees offer crows and ravens food to avert grief and death in their homes. Tihar represents the divine attachment between humans and other animals.
Another interesting observation during Tihar days in Nepal is gambling: during the days of the festival, it's allowed to gamble, while the rest of the year it's illegal for Nepalese citizens to gamble.
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