December 10 - The Inuit people of northern Alaska hold the souls of whales in high regard, praying for their spirits past the moment when they sleep with the fishes....so to speak.
The Inuit have been hunting bowhead whales for several thousand years. Subsistence whaling is crucial enough to them that there are whole ceremonies and beliefs associated with them. For one thing, they believe that the animals they hunt have spirits. There are many rituals associated with the hunt itself and three celebrations each year designed to show respect for the souls of the animals, bring luck to the hunt, and to give thanks to the spirits of the animals that have been killed for food.
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