Nag Panchami

Nag Panchami is the day to worship snakes. People worship for the well being of their family by fasting and offering milk to snakes on this day. Since ages there have been several stories on snakes. One such story goes as follows:
Abhimany's son Parikshit went hunting. He was thirsty and went in search of water. He came to an ashram where the rishi was meditating. He asked the rishi for water. But after several requests the rishi did not reply. Parikshit got angry and took a dead snake which was lying nearby and threw it on the rishi. After some time the rishi's son came. When he saw the dead snake around his Father's neck he became angry. Immediately he mediated and could visualize what could have happened. He was angry with Parikshit because he being a king unreasonably punished a rishi. The Rish's son cursed Parikshit that he would be bitten by a snake and would die on the seven'th day. Accordingly he died on the seventh day bitten by a snake. Parikshit's son Janmejay ascended the throne. Several years later he came to know the reason behind his Fathers death. To take revenge he organized a sarp(snake) yagna. Whenever the Rishis gave ahuthi snakes from all directions jumped into the yagna kund. Rishi Asteek advised Janmejay to stop this yagna and to give up revenge, have tolerance and develop love and affection towards living beings. Janmejay stopped the yagna and promised that hereafter he will safeguard all the snakes. That day came to be known as Nag Panchami and people started worshiping snakes.
The message from this festival is that we should worship nature, Safeguard the trees, river and other living beings.