November 17 is Black Cat Day, and here’s why.
Black cats have a bad reputation in many countries, but nowhere as much as in Italy. In 1233, Pope Gregory IX issued a papal bull declaring them instruments of the devil, initiating a true persecution throughout the Middle Ages, when black cats were thrown into the fire to join witches on the pyre. And even though the witch hunts ended long ago, many still believe (wrongly) that black cats bring bad luck.
The Italian Celebration
On a Friday the 17th (a choice not made by chance), Italy established Black Cat Day to rehabilitate the reputation of black cats, which were the subject of unfair and unjustifiable popular beliefs. Black Cat Day was created to put an end to superstitions related to their fur and to celebrate these cats that, even today, often struggle to be adopted and find a family due to their color. In Great Britain, it is celebrated on October 27, and in the United States on August 17.
The Origin of the Superstition
In Italy, black cats are associated with misfortune and bad luck. According to veterinarian Carmelo Maddaloni, the persecution of black cats and the papal decree stem from one of the “superpowers” of this species: night vision. “How to explain it? At least superficially, I would propose this hypothesis – he wrote here. Since mystery is a phenomenon usually associated with darkness, it was believed that witches could transform into cats to perceive the nocturnal world. This had already been observed by Alexander of Tralles, who in his treatise ‘On the Eyes’ wrote: ‘Why do some see during the day and not at night? Because,’ he explains, ‘they possess a heavier optical vital spirit that does not allow them to see the air. At night, the air becomes heavier due to lower temperatures and the absence of the sun, while during the day it is warmer and lighter. Being endowed with a lighter optical vital spirit, cats, hyenas, and bats see better at night than during the day.’ This is a hypothesis, I repeat, the research field is completely open. Be that as it may, we have a certain document following which cats fall from the paradises of worship to the depths of persecution.”
The Black Cat Around the World
And yet, elsewhere it is not so at all. In Japan, for example, the black cat has always been a symbol of good fortune. During the Edo period, it was even believed that owning one helped cure tuberculosis and kept away love troubles. In Egypt, the goddess Bastet was represented by a sleek black cat, and even back then, domestic cats were protected by very strict laws: voluntary killing of a cat was punishable by death, while involuntary killing was punished with an administrative fine. Young Egyptian women wore cat-shaped amulets against infertility, and after death, the animal was also embalmed and buried in sacred tombs.
A note: I also have a black cat at home, adopted from a shelter. Honestly, since I adopted it, many things have gone right, so I feel very close to the beliefs of the rest of the world… and you? What do you think?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
