Greetings fellow felines. We hope you are all well. Our humans are ALL sick (some kind of really nasty virus). We had to beg to get any kind of post out today. Mom is our typist, so she made us pick an easy topic. We wanted to talk about our plans for the new year, but she said we couldn’t do anything with the little humans who have moved in.

When Mom was little, she would spend New Year’s Eve with her grandma from Scotland. Grandma had some strongly held opinions about what needed to be done to bring luck in the new year. There was a lot of cleaning and candle-burning to get rid of the bad luck from the previous year. We decided to see if we could find any countries that linked luck to kitties. Here’s what we found:

England

If a black cat crosses your path from left to right, it’s good luck. If a black cat crosses your path from right to left (or walks away from you), it’s bad luck. If a woman receives a black cat on her wedding day, the marriage will be prosperous. Newlyweds with a black cat will have a loving, happy marriage. However, if an unmarried woman steps on a cat’s tail, she will not get married that year.

France

In the south of France feeding black cats and treating them well will bring good luck. The rest of the country considers them unlucky. If you cross a stream with a cat in your arms, it is an omen of death for a loved one. If a cat sneezes near a bride on her wedding day, it will be a loving and prosperous marriage.

India

In the ancient Hindu religion, cats were the symbol of childbirth and fertility. Grey cats are believed to be especially lucky. Black cats are lucky, and you should welcome them into your home. If a cat meows as a person leaves the house, it is an omen of danger for that person. If a cat washes its ear three times, an unexpected guest is coming. If you are setting out on an adventure and see a cat on your left side, you will have good luck. If a cat follows you out of your house, you can expect financial gain in the near future.

Indonesia

If you pour water over a cat, it will rain.

Ireland

There is a belief that kittens born in May are particularly troublesome; they may even bring snakes into the house. Killing a cat can bring you 17 years of bad luck. If you see a black cat cross your path in the moonlight, it is a omen of an epidemic-related death.

Italy

If you hear an Italian cat sneeze, it’s good luck. But if it sneezes three times, you’ll get a cold.  If a bride hears a cat sneeze on her wedding day, she will have a good marriage. However, black cats are considered bad luck in parts of Italy.

Japan

In Japan, cats are considered lucky. In particular, black cats are lucky. Owning a black cat increases your chances of romantic success. Black cats also guard homes against evil. An additional belief is that if a cat grooms its face, you will have unexpected visitors. (No word on whether that’s lucky or not.)

Netherlands

The Dutch believe that cats are gossips. If you have a private conversation with a cat in the room, they will tell all of your secrets. There is no record of how far they will spread the news.

Russia. 

Russians consider Russian Blue cats to be particularly lucky. When you enter a new home, you should let the cat go in first. If the cat doesn’t want to enter, it’s a sign of bad luck. Black cats are considered bad luck. If a black cat crosses your path, move to the other side of the street or spit over your shoulder three times to ward off evil spirits.

Southern Europe

If a cat jumps across a person’s grave, they will live again as a vampire.

United States

If a cat sits on someone’s grave, their soul is possessed by the Devil. However, if two cats are fighting over a grave, an angel and demon are fighting over the soul. If you see a white cat on the road during the day, or dream of one, it’s good luck. But seeing a white cat at night is unlucky. If you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb and palm it in your hand. If you make a wish, it will come true. If a Pennsylvania Dutch woman wants to get married, she should feed a cat from her shoe.

We wish you nothing but good luck in the coming year!

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.