A color cathode ray tube includes a rectangular shadow mask made of an Fe-Ni alloy material, and having an apertured portion, an imperforate portion surrounding the apertured portion and a skirt portion bent back from the imperforate portion, and a rectangular support frame for suspending the shadow mask by spot welding the skirt portion thereto. The skirt portion is provided with plural slits and plural embossments extending in a direction of the height of the skirt portion in one of long and short sides of the skirt portion, and the slits and embossments are juxtaposed around a circumference of the skirt portion. A majority of the slits in the one of the long and shirt sides of the skirt portion are slits delimiting continuous openings in the skirt portion which are not bridged by members other than the support frame.