@Kendoyle@RogerBW Same in Britain on the whole, especially with sailors and actors. The universal notion that they are bad luck is primarily an American thing, but of course it spreads because of the US dominance in film and TV, a bit like Halloween as a costume party with pumpkins.
@Printdevil@BigJackBrass@Kendoyle The cat that sits on your chest in the night (sleep paralysis) is default black because it's at night, I think. (In some cultures it's an old woman.)