Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

Date: August 28th

Bright arches span the sky,
woven of sunlit rain.
We walk them in our hearts,
where pawprints never fade.

Bifröst is the bridge we build
of laughter, love, and years—
each memory a shining plank,
each shimmer reflecting cheer.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day is observed annually on August 28th to honor and remember beloved pets who have passed away. It’s a secular holiday for pet owners to reflect on the joy and love their animal companions brought into their lives and to celebrate their memories. The day is inspired by the “Rainbow Bridge” poem, which speaks of a place where pets wait to be reunited with their owners. It was created by author Deborah Barnes in 2015, in memory of her cat, Mr. Jazz, who passed away on August 28, 2013. She established the day to provide a way for people to honor and remember their beloved pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. It’s a day for sharing stories, photos, and memories of pets that have passed away.

Here’s how people typically observe Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day: 

• Sharing Memories:
  • Many pet owners share stories, photos, and fond memories of their pets on social media platforms. 
• Writing:
  • Some people write letters or journal entries to their departed pets, expressing their love and grief. 
• Creating Memorials:
  • Creating a memory garden or other personal memorial can provide a serene space to reflect on the pet’s life. 
• Reflecting and Connecting:
  • The day provides an opportunity to reflect on the profound bond shared with pets and to connect with others who have experienced similar losses. 
• Light a Candle:
  • Some people light a candle or visit a special place to remember their pet. 

Ultimately, Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day is a time to honor the pets who have touched our lives and to acknowledge the enduring love we have for them. That it comes with its own ritual tradition makes the holiday easy to adapt. A Humanistic Heathen twist could blend this with the Norse concept of Bifröst, the shimmering bridge between worlds. In this version:

• Symbolic Frame: The bridge is a metaphor for memory. Your love and remembrance are what “connect” you to your animal friend across time and death.
• Mythic Parallel: Just as Odin’s ravens return each day with news, our memories “fly back” to us, keeping our pets’ spirits alive in thought.
• Role of Animal Companions in Myth: The gods’ animals are more than pets, they are partners, helpers, and extensions of their identities. Remembering our own animals can be framed as honoring the same deep bond.

The Norse myths are replete with animal companions, as the examples below show:

• Odin –
  • Huginn (“Thought”) and Muninn (“Memory”), his two ravens who fly over the world and bring him news.
  • Geri and Freki, his two wolves who stay by his side in Valhalla.
  • Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse, fast enough to carry riders between worlds.
• Freyja –
  • Two great cats (unnamed in surviving sources) who pull her chariot. Often imagined as large, sleek forest cats or lynxes.
  • Hildisvíni, her loyal boar (“Battle-Swine”), who may also be her human companion Ottar in disguise.
• Frey –
  • Gullinbursti, a golden-bristled boar forged by the dwarves, who pulls his chariot and shines like the sun.
• Thor –
  • Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, his two goats who pull his chariot and can be eaten and resurrected if their bones remain unbroken.
• Hel –
  • Garmr, a massive hound who guards the gates of Hel. (Sometimes considered distinct from Fenrir; sometimes confused with him in later sources.)

In addition to the above observance examples, here are some more explicitly Humanistic Heathen ways to connect Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day with the Norse idea of Bifröst, the rainbow bridge between worlds, while keeping it symbolic and non-theistic:

I. Bifröst Candle Ritual

If you have a symbolic focus/altar, place upon it items that remind you of your pet: a collar, a photo, etc. Optionally, place rainbow-colored stones, paper strips, or flowers there to help visualize Bifröst. 

Light a candle (or rainbow-colored tea-lights). Imagine this as opening the way to Bifröst.

• Speak the names of the pets you’re remembering, imagining Bifröst as a path of love and memory. 
• Picture yourself walking across Bifröst in your mind, meeting your pet in a place of peace and beauty.

Reflect on the joy they brought and how you carry their influence forward in your life.

II. Storytelling Sumbel

Hold a small symbolic sumbel (drinking ritual) with friends or family.

• In the first round, share stories about your pet.
• In the second, speak about how they shaped who you are.
• In the third, make a vow to honor them through kindness to other living beings.

III. Acts of Care in Their Honor

Donate to an animal shelter, volunteer, or bring supplies. Frame it as sending “light across the bridge” — your action is the bridge that connects your pet’s memory to living animals in need.