October 27, 2021 – National American Beer Day | National Black Cat Day

Long Ago This Was Considered A Good Wedding Present! Welcome to October 27, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate chilly beverages and breaking a bad wrap.  America’s love affair with beer started even before the United States was a country. In 1612, Dutch traders Adrian Block and Hans Christiansen established a brewery on what would become Manhattan Island. At the time, the area was called New Amsterdam and was a fur trading outpost. The winter that year was especially cold and icy, which made the workers very grumpy. To boost morale amongst their men, Block and his partner started brewing beer, which worked like a charm. While beer is consumed all over the world here in the States we love it icy cold and if the weather is already frosty where you live, chances are you still enjoy a cold one. On National American Beer Day celebrate the season of chill by cracking open your favorite brew.  It appears that the myth surrounding black cats as bad luck is relatively new.  This bad wrap is associated with the Puritanical view of witches and their supernatural pets.  Starting in the 12th century, folks believed that a witch could transform into a black cat nine times. This is probably where their reputation for having multiple lives began too. But well before that, the ebony coated feline was a sign of good luck.  From Ancient Egypt to Old England, Scotland and Japan, black cats were thought of as a symbol of good fortune.  They were even given as a wedding present for hundreds of years. On National Black Cat Day, break with superstition and find yourself some good feline fortune.   I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.