Saint Agatha was, so the story goes, a Christian virgin who was martyred during one of the Roman persecutions of the faithful. She became a popular saint afterward, and her feast was celebrated on February 5. In many areas of Europe women observed the day by refraining from work. Legend had it that a woman caught
working on Saint Agatha’s Day would be confronted by the saint herself—in the form of a hissing cat.
