Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day, everyone! According to the National Calendar Day website, the tradition had its origins in 2011. New Yorker Wayne H. Morris founded this special occasion to commemorate his sister and 20-year-old cat, Sinbad, who had both passed away that year. Additionally, he hoped it would help to dispel all the terrible superstitions surrounding black cats. The support for this holiday has only grown since then.
The National Today website includes a whole webpage filled with historical and pop culture facts about black cats. These nuggets of knowledge include a reference to the Nekobiyaka Cat Café in Japan that allows guests to spend time among black kitties, the fact that black cats were traditionally the cat of choice for sailors at sea (believed to bring good luck), and even that Felix the Cat (sometimes credited with being the first animated film star) made his appearance in “Feline Follies” on November 9, 1919 (discussed here on the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia).
Suffice it to say, I’ll be marking the occasion on my calendar every year from now on! So have a great one, everyone!
The Literary Serenity Archives 
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Hooray! I love that adorable little black cat icon as well.
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😻
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Yay!
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❤❤❤
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Thank you for this news. I have a happy acquaintance of two black cats.
Joanna
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Awesome. I’m glad someone pushed this day as a special annual celebration. Black cats truly are wonderful; it still boggles my mind that superstitions linger about them.
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Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day, Joyce.💕
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Happy Black Cat Appreciate Day. It was a great one.
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Good to hear.💕
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Hooray!!!!
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Black cats are beautiful. Did you get yours something special to celebrate?
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A few cat treats, some extended play sessions, and cuddles. ^_^
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-Aw, Felix!
It’s sad that such negativity surrounds animals at all, but more so for some of them. (I saw an ad yesterday advocating for black dogs, too.) Really appreciate this thoughtful post
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Agreed. I’m just glad that there have been pushes to dispel all the negativity. It’s definitely hopeful because the very fact people are trying to stop those superstitions means an active effort to promote understanding and compassion.
I hadn’t realized the same was true of black dogs as well. I could see it, but wow. Now I hope there is a Black Dog Appreciation Day as well.
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I think, back in the day before people realized they love cats—thanks completely to the Internet—that cats probably had a more difficult time than did dogs; but, that’s just a supposition. I myself have only recently become aware of black-dog campaigns.
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Maybe it’s because there are so many assumptions about all cats being standoffish or enigmatic, while dogs have the honor of being called “man’s best friend.” In any case, it’s good that things are starting to change. ^_^
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completely agree!
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Yay!
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Black cats have always been thought lucky in the UK. I wonder when and how the opposite became true in the US? (And which side the rest of the world is on!)
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That is a question. I wonder if it has something to do with the Plymouth settlers and the immigrants that followed them from certain places in Europe. That’s only speculation, but holidays and similar traditions made the same jump around the same period. Who knows, though? It’s probably really complicated. Heh.
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