Throughout history, black cats have received a bad rap. They’ve been associated with everything from simple bad luck to witches and Satanists. In the United States, they are considered so unlucky that they are among the least likely cats to be adopted. This is quite unfortunate, considering that black cats aren’t any more “evil” than cats of any other color.

Fortunately, a holiday has been created to help rehabilitate their image and place them back in the public’s good graces. This holiday is observed on October 27th and is known as National Black Cat Day. Since this holiday is celebrated a full four days before Halloween, it is the perfect time to appreciate our dark feline friends.

The History of National Black Cat Day

At one point, we were unsure who started this holiday or when it was started. However, that has changed recently as we discovered that this holiday was actually started by an animal charity in the U.K. known as Cats Protection.

This organization founded the holiday to raise awareness about the difficulties black cats face in being adopted. We’re not exactly sure when they created this holiday, but we do know that it has been around for quite a few years. Since we’re discussing the history of National Black Cat Day, we thought we’d also talk about the history of attitudes towards these cats.

Black cats have been treated differently depending on the year and the place in which they lived. For example, in Great Britain and Japan, a black cat is considered good luck. However, in the United States, it has come to symbolize bad luck or evil forces. In some parts of the world, if a black cat crosses your path, then it is considered a bad omen.

In folklore, black cats are often depicted as agents of evil or even as evil itself. In some parts of Europe, they were considered so evil that they were burned alive by superstitious villagers in giant midsummer bonfires.

Black Cat Facts

We did a lot of research for National Black Cat Day, so naturally, we also uncovered some amazing facts about black cats. Facts that we would like to share with everyone reading this today. If you think you know everything there is to know about black cats, then hold onto your seat because we’re about to give you some facts that might surprise you.

• The Egyptians considered black cats to be lucky.
• Fishermen, sailors, and pirates saw black cats as good luck.
• In parts of England and Ireland, a black cat crossing your path is considered lucky.
• In Russia, cats of all colors are considered lucky.
• Black Cat Appreciation Day falls on August 17th.
• Black Cat Awareness Month is in October.
• There are 19 different cat breeds that have black as a coat color option.

National Black Cat Day Customs, Traditions & Observations

Not only are black cats cool little felines to have around, but they also complement Halloween decor quite well. If you have your house decorated in full Halloween regalia, then nothing adds the finishing touch like having a black cat lounging in front of it. This is why National Black Cat Day is a good day to celebrate.

So give your favorite black cat a gift on this day or maybe some extra appreciation. And if you are inclined to post pictures of your black cat on social media, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalBlackCatDay. Let’s work together to revitalize the black cat’s image and help all those black cats currently in animal shelters find a forever home.