Why do the goats wear coats?

southbeach_gal

I arrived home from India about a month ago from a fine trip with my family. We kept remarking on the goats wearing coats. Can anyone explain why? Is it to keep them clean or warm? We even saw the babies with them on.

Nick-H

I have never seen a coated goat, but I come from a permanantly hot part of India.

Please tell where you saw these dressed-up creatures?

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southbeach_gal

We saw them in Jaipur, in the Old City, and all over Varanasi.

Unfortunately I am a dutz with pictures or I would post one.

steven_ber

Because a coat is a lot more flexible than blankets.

(Sorry, no idea why, I've never seen one wearing a coat.)

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capt_mahajan

The same reason I do, to keep them warm, I guess.

PS

http://www.indexstock.com/content/to...oat_photos.asp

have to hunt for it, nos. 940701 and 940700, 6th row from the bottom

southbeach_gal

Thanks capt_mahajan. Yes that is close to what we saw. Really more of a sweatshirt than a coat. One cute little kid had a frilly dress.

goangoangone

In the East End of London, a Nanny Goat = Coat.

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Nick-H

Goats in frilly dresses?

steven_ber

'Mutton' in frilly dresses....glad I'm not single anymore and keeping away from the booze.

goangoangone

You (or is it ewe?) tell them.

Nick-H

I wish I'd read this thread three days ago... I was delirious and having really crazy and vivid dreams.

Hmmm... I better have left out Steven's post, though !

ScarletLSG

We saw them in Delhi also ... coats, frilly things, pretty necklaces, flower garlands ... but they were being led off from a market to a Muslim dinner table. It was the last day of a one month fast, so we thought they were dressed up as part of the ceremony or something. They looked cute, but I felt sad for them.

machadinha

That month of fasting is known as Ramadan, Scarlet (it's the name of that month); the celebration at the end of it is called Eid ul-Fitr, the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. Could explain it (and I can't recall ever seeing such goats), however the feast fell in Oct. last year (it revolves by Islam's lunar calendar). Could be it's done on other special occasions as well? I mean sure it gets a little chilly up there, but to keep a goat warm in winter sounds the less feasible explanation to me The Capt.'s warm sentiments notwithstanding of course

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ScarletLSG

Thanks Mach. I did some quick looking and see that in fact the Ramadan fast is in October. I think the fast end that we saw was:

Eid ul-Adha occurs the day after the pilgrims conducting Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide, descend from Mount Arafat. It happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan.

It happened on December 20, 2007 ... which is exactly when we were in Delhi preparing to go to Nagpur AND when we saw the MASSES of goats being led home -- wearing coats and jewelry. Wish I'd gotten a picture.

machadinha

Well, since Southbeach reports having returned around a month ago... who knows, who knows indeed. Thanks for that, maybe she will fill in around what time it was.

ps Just to keep our i's dotted, since the Islamic calendar again is a lunar one, those dates shift every year (by around 11 days, to be precise, and only in relation to the Gregorian calendar. They are fixed alright going by the Islamic calendar.)