Like most people, I am sure, whenever a "National (insert celebration) Day" comes along, I enjoy the fact that we are celebrating, but I always ask myself, "WHY?" Why are we celebrating things that are so silly, or cute or sweet or whatever, and who comes up with these National Holidays?
WELL, if you have read my blog before you know I love doing research on topics that fascinate me, and this was most certainly a topic I'd questioned for years and it did, in fact, fascinate me.
The culprit behind all of these National Holidays goes back to the year 2013 on National Popcorn Day. The website National Day Calendar was established as "the original and authoritative source for fun, unusual, and unique National Days." What started out as a way to keep track of Federal Holidays, which yes does include National Ice Cream Day thanks to President Ronald Reagan, became a way for commercialism to sell! sell! sell! to buyers nation-wide and world-wide for every type of day imaginable.
National Day Calendar is not the only website that lists all of the National Holidays, but if you want to add your own holiday to the official calendar, you do have to submit an application with them and hope yours is selected from the approximately 20,000 petitions they get on a yearly basis.
And while researching with National Day Calendar in regards to Hug Your Cat Day, I honestly didn't like how little information there was on their website. Sure, there were a few cat-related puns, which I'm always a fan of, but another website called Awareness Days has, in my opinion, a better set up for why and when people can celebrate, the reason for the National Holiday, and how to celebrate.
According to Hug Your Cat Day 2024 on Awareness Days, it is "a day of affection and cuddles, devoted to honoring our feline companions and strengthening the bond we share with them." Depending on the cat, we must show our affection differently, but the point is to take that moment and just be with our furry friends. (And, thanks to commercialism, buy them new toys and treats to celebrate aka sell! sell! sell!).
So if your cat is like Franklin, you can give them all the hugs and cuddles and kisses and they will give them right back to you. If your cat is more like Kap, then just being in the same room with them and giving them some good chin and/or ear scratches is all the affection they need. Just like humans, every cat has their own personality, likes and dislikes, and tolerance for being touched. However you choose to spend the day with your fur baby will make them happy, especially if you also give them lots of treats along with pettings, hugs, and kisses.
Awareness Days also reminds us how important our feline companions are to us. The day is "also a time to reflect on the positive impact that cats have on our well-being," from companionship to a constant source of unconditional love. In my own blog post Doctor Franklin Tiger MD: The Healing Power of a Cat's Purr, I go into detail about how Franklin helped me when I was sick; and time and time again both Franklin and Kap have shown up for me and John when we needed them most. National Hug Your Cat Day is a good reminder to celebrate them and thank them for being the sweet kitties we know and love.
And so today, John and I will be spending extra time with the boys, away from our phones and TV, focusing on loving and playing with Franklin and Kap. And yes, we did buy them special treats and new toys. (sell! sell! sell!)
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