Ratcatcher's Day
Ratcatcher' Day | |
---|---|
Date | 26 June or 22 July |
Frequency | annual |
![](../I/m/Full_Revelations_of_a_Professional_Rat-Catcher_-_book_cover_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_17243.jpg)
Ratcatcher's Day, Rat-catcher's Day or Rat Catcher's Day is celebrated on 26 June or 22 July, commemorating the myth of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The town of Hamelin in Germany uses the June date[1] and the term "Pied Piper Day".[2] The confusion of dates is because the Brothers Grimm cite 26 June 1284 as the date the Pied Piper led the children out of the town, while the poem by Robert Browning gives it as 22 July 1376. It is a holiday remembering rat-catchers, similar to Secretary's Day and Presidents Day.
Famous Ratcatcher's in literature include Serafina, the Chief Rat Catcher of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Serafina is a fictional character created by author Robert Beatty and was first introduced in "Serafina and the Black Cloak," a spooky, historical-fiction novel. Serafina's mysterious adventures grew into a trilogy (Book 2: Serafina and the Twisted Staff, Book 3: Serafina and the Splintered Heart) and the 4th book in the series is due for release in Summer 2019. https://robert-beatty.com
References
- ↑ "The legend of the Pied Piper".
- ↑ https://www.hameln.de/en/thepiedpiper/thepiedpipergoingunesco/pied-piper-day/
- ↑ Barron, James (4 September 1991). "An American Passion: Who Did What When?". New York Times. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
- ↑ Roach, John (21 July 2004). "Rat Catcher's Day Eludes Pest Control Industry". National Geographic News. Retrieved 9 June 2008.