February 22 is a special day in Japan:
it's Cat Day ,
known as 猫の日 (Neko
no Hi)! While International Cat Day apparently falls on August
8 every year, in Japan, people have the opportunity to celebrate their feline
companions almost half a year early. In Japanese, cats say ニャー (nyaa) or ニャン (nyan) – equivalent to “meow”
in Spanish. The choice of February 22 as 猫の日 (neko no hi) is due to a play
on words! In Japanese, February 22 is written as 2月22日 or 2/22. Since the
number two is read as “ni”, 2/22 can be read (jokingly) as ニャーニャーニャー (nyaa nyaa nyaa) or ニャンニャンニャン (nyan nyan nyan).
But the celebration of Cat Day is not limited to real
felines. Fans of the anime industry are also getting in on the fun, but
with a twist: instead of sharing illustrations of cats, they share
illustrations of nekomimi, a term that refers to “cat girls,” meaning those
with ears and cat's tail. On this special day, social media is flooded
with these adorable images, created by amateur and professional artists alike.
Under the commemorative hashtag “#猫の日,” fans share their favorite
illustrations of anime characters with cat ears and tails, adding a dose of
cuteness and fun to the Cat Day celebration. From classics like
“Nekopara” to iconic characters, social media becomes a visual feast of
nekomimi for anime lovers to enjoy and celebrate this unique day.
Enjoy Cat Day with these adorable and fascinating nekomimi
illustrations shared by the anime community in Japan and beyond!
Source: Twitter
