National Cat Herders Day
National Cat Herders Day
Celebrated annually on 15th December, the National Cat Herders Day recognizes people who have a lot on their plate and those who are involved in difficult and unpleasant occupations that can be paralleled to the tedious task of herding cats.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2020 | 15th December | Tuesday | United States |
2021 | 15th December | Wednesday | United States |
2022 | 15th December | Thursday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalCatHerdersDay
#CatHerdersDay
Related: Other National Days Celebrated on December 15th:
Why Cat Herdrs Day?
At a glance, you might think this day is observed to celebrate cats or the imaginary occupation of cat herding. You are not entirely wrong here, these cute and adorable creatures can be extremely hard to handle if you have a bunch of them, get one to stand and the other one will run off, cats have always been sassy that way. This day reflects a similar plight.
Are you held responsible for a bunch of hard to manage employees? Have you been in a similar situation where no matter how much effort you put, at the last moment something has to always go wrong in your life or job? Or are you a parent trying to get your kids to focus on something? Any such difficult task for that matter can be described by the idiom cat-herding.
Though origins of this idiom have not been traced, its usage is sometimes attributed to Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979). The idiom resurfaced when it was used by an IT expert Dave Platt in the 1980s. In his words “Managing senior programmers is like herding cats.” This term gained widespread popularity when it became the subject of a popular Super Bowl Commercial in the year 2000. The ad released by Hewlett Packard claimed that they can serve their customers just like the capable cowboys herding cats.
This day sympathizes with the plight of professionals like project managers, kindergarten teachers, the team in charge, care workers. It can be extended to students who are herding their piled up assignments or homemakers with the never-ending list of chores and responsibilities or any individual who is juggling with impossible tasks in their life. This day also appreciates the knack and talent of the cat-herders who have aced their tasks with diligence and perseverance.
If you consider yourself a cat-herder then this day is dedicated to you and your so-called “cats”. Be proud of your cat-herding skills because the cat-herders have always played a vital role in history. Mahatma Gandhi who led the nation to freedom to the American civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are the famous cat-herders who changed the lives of many. One day who knows, you might be a historically eminent cat-herder, so keep going cowboy/cowgirl! And if you are not a cat-herder, at least don’t be a cat!
While there are famous cat-herders there is also a huge number of overworked and underappreciated cat-herders in our society. This day is a reminder to be thankful for these cat-herders who painstakingly get the job done as they strive to fulfil responsibilities to the best of their ability.
How Can We Observe National Cat Herders Day
- Try out the art of cat herding.
You can do this literally by getting a few cats and trying to herd them with a shepherd hook in an old-fashioned way of trying to train them all to do a trick. Failure is a certainty so this is just a fun exercise to know what it feels like to herd a bunch of cats.
- Be Thankful!
Remember to thank the cat-herders who have influenced you and have been part of your life. Appreciate them for their consistency and hard work whether it’s your mom or your boss.
- Unleash the Cat herder in you!
Take up challenging tasks and get out of your comfort zone.
- Let The World Know!
Share the photos, videos and memes of your favourite cat-herders with the #NationalCatHerderDay and #CatHerderDay
Interesting Facts On National Cat Herders Day:
Here are some interesting facts surrounding the Cat Herders Day!
- In the year 2000 EDS, a multinational IT equipment and services company brought the phrase alive by portraying cowboys herding a bunch of cats
- In 1997 Warren G Bennis published a book named “Managing People is Like Herding Cats.” that talks about leadership management.
- A report from the BBC earth story comes to the defense of cats. According to the article, it’s almost impossible to herd cats due to evolutionary reasons. The domestic cat as of now, does not find any benefits of living in a herd.
History Of National Cat Herders Day:
Thomas and Ruth Roy the owners of Wellcat.com patented this holiday which was published in the USA today. According to them, this day is dedicated to all their sympathies to all those who feel that their job or even their life is like an endeavor to herd cats