March Cat Day
Spring is the time of nature's awakening, the time of blossoming, the first warmth, the chirping of birds—and cats. A March cat isn't just words, it's a description of a cat's soul. restless spring daysAnd in honor of the pets who are the first to welcome the arrival of spring, a new holiday has been created: March Cat Day. Our article explains how this day came to be, what it means, and what date March Cat Day is.
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What kind of holiday is Cat Day?
There are many holidays dedicated to our furry, whiskered "little brothers," both official and simple, "folk" ones. Among the latter is March Cat Day.
According to legend, it all began during the reign of Peter the Great. It was he who brought a cat into the Winter Palace—not for comfort, but purely for practical reasons: the animal was to guard the palace's valuables from rodents.
However, the true heyday of the "cat service" came in 1745. At that time, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna signed an unusual decree requiring 30 of the best cats—strong, agile, and especially skilled at hunting mice—to be brought from Kazan.
Officially, "Cat Day"—or rather, International Cat Day—is celebrated at the end of summer, on August 8th. However, in our country, almost simultaneously with this international celebration, a special holiday dedicated to all "whiskered and striped" cats emerged: March Cat Day. It is celebrated, as befits a true feline holiday, in March—the first day of the first month of spring.
In 2018, March Cat Day is celebrated on Thursday, March 1st.
How the holiday came about
March Cat Day is a relatively new holiday. It was first celebrated in 2004, so 2018 marked only its sixteenth year. This day recently appeared on our calendar of fun and unofficial dates. The idea for the holiday came from the editors of "Cat and Dog" magazine, who implemented it in collaboration with the Cat Museum in Moscow.
Holiday traditions
Although March Cat Day isn't an official date and exists only in a popular online calendar, it has developed its own traditions over the years. First and foremost, it's traditional to pamper pets on this day.
You can delight your cat with a tasty treat, which they don't get as often as they'd like. You can also give them a new toy, a bed, a scratching post, or even an entire cat house. In return, your pet will surely thank you with a gentle purr—the most pleasant sound for any caring cat owner.
However, the focus of attention on this day is not only and not so much on pets, but on cats that have not yet found their family. Volunteers and members of animal rights organizations have long been holding all kinds of events on March Cat Day under the slogan “Find Me,” the goal of which is to find a home for every homeless animal.how cozy and loving homeAccording to animal rights activists, the best thing to do on this holiday is to adopt a homeless kitten from a shelter.
Hermitage Cat Day
There's a place where National Cat Day is celebrated with particular pomp. That place is the Hermitage. Yes, the country's most famous museum annually celebrates "Cat Day," honoring the cats living on the museum grounds. More precisely, those living in its cellars—the Hermitage cats are an integral part of the Palace's history.
Moreover, the cats live there as fully-fledged museum employees, whose job it is to exterminate rats and mice that damage the museum's valuables. The Hermitage even has a separate expense account for cat care, and all sorts of events are held to celebrate the cat's holiday.
Today, the holiday is called "Hermitage Cat Day," but until 2012, it was officially called March Cat Day. Regardless, museum staff, visitors, and the press refer to it by both names.
Although March Cat Day is celebrated strictly on March 1st in Russia, the Hermitage celebrates Cat Day on various dates. There's no fixed date—it could be in March or even early April. The day is chosen by the museum's management, and the public and media are then informed about the upcoming event.
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