Red-Letter Days

August 17 - Cat Nights begin. The term "Cat Nights" harks back to a rather obscure Irish legend concerning witches and the belief that a witch could turn herself into a cat eight times, but on the ninth time, August 17, she couldn't regain her human form. This bit of folklore also led to the idea that a cat has nine lives. Since August is a "yowly" time for cats, this may have prompted the speculation about witches on the prowl.

The term "red-letter day" originates with the tradition of marking holy days in a church calendar in red. We use the term here to designate days of special significance in each month -- holidays, astronomical happenings, anniversaries of historic events, and days with memorable folklore attached. Information is drawn from the library of The Old Farmer's Almanac.