Black cats have been associated with bad luck since as early as ancient Greece, with many people avoiding keeping black cats because of it. Thankfully, those beliefs have become quite outdated. However, even though more people are willing to adopt black cats, black cats still have the lowest adoption rates of any cats in shelters, often believed to be due to their dark coloration not standing out in the poor lighting of animal shelters. One of the ways that people have fought back against the negativity toward black cats is by giving them their own special day.
When Is National Black Cat Appreciation Day?
National Black Cat Appreciation Day is on August 17th. In 2022, this day falls on a Wednesday. Don’t get this holiday confused with the similarly named National Black Cat Day, which occurs on October 27th.
What Is National Black Cat Appreciation Day?
This day originated on August 17, 2011, with a man named Wayne H. Morris. Morris created the day in honor of both his sister and her elderly black cat, Sinbad. The 20-year-old Sinbad and Morris’s sister both passed away in 2011, but Morris was committed to dispelling the myths and negativity surrounding black cats, so he continued celebrating the day annually. Every year, more and more people become aware of National Black Cat Appreciation Day and celebrate it.
How to Celebrate This Day
There are lots of fun activities you can do on this day to celebrate, assuming you don’t want to just stay home with your black cat and give them an extra treat. If you’re looking to open your home to another cat, you may check out the shelters and rescues in your area to see if they have the perfect black cat available for you to adopt.
If you’re located in Japan, and you’d like to celebrate, you may pay a visit to the Nekobiyaka Cat Café, located in Himeji. This cat café specializes in black cats, with each cat wearing a different colored bandana or collar so patrons of the café can tell them apart. Petting and interacting with the cats is encouraged, but picking up the cats isn’t allowed.
If you’re looking for a lowkey activity that isn’t necessarily a happy pastime, you may read The Black Cat, a short story written by Edgar Allen Poe and published in 1843. Some people consider this to be one of Poe’s darkest stories, so this isn’t a read for the faint of heart.
For something a little more light, you might visit your local library and check out books and stories that discuss the history of black cats in myth and folklore. You might be surprised to learn that some groups of people considered black cats to be good luck charms.
In Conclusion
National Black Cat Appreciation Day is an annual celebration that occurs on August 17th. The day was founded with the intention of dispelling myths and negativity surrounding black cats, as well as to celebrate the founder’s sister and her cat, Sinbad. This should be a day of fun, as well as a day that opens up opportunities for educating others about the positive impacts that black cats have on many people’s lives.
Featured Image Credit: Viktor Sergeevich, Shutterstock