International holidays - European Cat Day

Primitive people gradually tamed wild animals - a horse, a cow, a dog One of the latter, according to the legend described by RD Kipling became a cat The wayward and independent animal did not agree to part with freedom for a long time, but nevertheless came to the man in the cave This representative of the cat family has been brightening up human life with its existence for thousands of years Graceful and intelligent animals show love and loyalty to their owners, in return demanding respect for their craving for independence Since 1992, European Cat Day has been celebrated on February 17, a holiday established to help stray animals The initiator of the creation of Cat Day in Europe was the Italian Claudi Angeletti The idea of ​​the Tuttogatto magazine reporter was happily supported by activists and animal rights defenders It is known that in Italy, especially in Rome, Naples, Milan and Turin, there are more than 25 million stray cats and kittens Whenever possible, people take care of and feed homeless animals with mustaches and tails, but this support is not enough They need more global help, which includes the creation of shelters and charitable foundations Therefore, on February 17, in honor of Cat Day in Europe, photo exhibitions, conferences and other events are held to raise funds for the needs of stray animals In ancient Egypt, the cat, a symbol of fertility and the sun, was worshiped as a deity She was considered a sacred animal, protecting the owner and the house from evil spirits Cats were associated with immortality The ancient Egyptians believed that furry quadrupeds were endowed with the ability to reincarnate for 9 lives They are also treated as sacred animals in Japan, where the holiday in honor of tailed pets is celebrated annually a little later than in Europe - on February 22 However, there have been periods in human history that caused cats to endure pain and suffering from people These wise and affectionate animals, especially black ones, were exterminated en masse during the Inquisition, because the church considered them accomplices of witches and evil spirits Burning cats at the stake led to an outbreak of bubonic plague and other diseases This happened because the four-legged friends of people could no longer destroy rats and other carriers of infections in sufficient numbers The date for European Cat Day in 1992 was not chosen by chance and has esoteric overtones February 17 is ruled by Aquarius, a sign that in the Italian cultural tradition is a symbol of free-thinking and independence It was this fact that journalist Claudi Angeletti took into account when choosing the date of the holiday Over the 30 years since the appearance of Cat Day in Europe, the tradition of celebrating the celebration has gradually taken root in other countries In honor of the meowing four-legged animals, a temple was built in Japan, parades are held in Belgium, museums are opened in Berlin, the Czech Republic, Basel and Minsk, cafes are opened in Moscow and Lvov Some cat lovers are admired for their self-sacrifice and love for animals Thus, Jack and Donna Wright from Kingston, Ontario, are listed in the Guinness Book of Records At the time the record was set, the couple had 689 purring pets Throughout the year, various holidays are celebrated all over the world dedicated to representatives of the cat family, who have lived side by side with people for thousands of years One of the most popular is considered to be Cat Day in Europe, which falls on February 17th