superstitions | Adventures in Cheeseland

Hello! It’s Onyx here. Halloween will soon be upon us, and as you know, this pawsome holiday is often associated with black cats. To celebrate, I’m going to tell you some things that relate the two together!

Black cats are often thought to be signs of bad luck. This, in combination with our dark coloring, have led people to see us as spooky figures. (This is totally unearned. The only spooky thing about black cats is how adorable we are.)

Ancient history has a lot to do with black cats symbolizing Halloween. In ancient Egypt, cats of all colors were considered divine symbols. Cats also have a place in Greek mythology, most noticeably with Hecate, the goddess of magic, sorcery, the moon, and witchcraft. Because of this, cats are thought to be the pets of witches.

In 1233, a written publication called “Vox in Rama was issued by Pope Gregory IX. In this document, black cats were declared an incarnation of Satan. This led to an inquisition of black cats, and this quickly spread all over Europe.

Because of their association with Satan and witches, black cats were seen as a threat to the Church in the 13th century. Cats also were partially blamed for spreading the plague, further solidifying the church’s disdain for them.

Black cats are often victims of abuse and cruelty during the Halloween season. Therefore, it’s important to keep your black cats inside and away from doors and windows, if possible.

In France, Spain, and Germany, black cats are thought to carry curses. However, in Japan and Egypt, cats are seen as signs of good luck and worshiped.

Black cats become popularized as Halloween figures in the United States with the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Colony. The pilgrims distrusted anything related to witchery and sorcery, including black cats, and actively persecuted them.

Black cats were regularly burned at the stake, especially on Shrove Tuesday, in the United States.

Even in modern day, many communities sacrifice black cats leading into Halloween. This cruel practice, while lessening, is still concerning, particularly in Wiccan communities.

Perhaps a bit ironically, October 27th is Black Cat Day, right near Halloween. While black cat owners rejoice at their beautiful panthers, other, less desirable beings use this as an excuse to adopt out, or find, black cats and torture them .

And there’s the scoop on black cats and Halloween! I’m wishing you all a very happy Black Cat Day (it’s my favorite day of the year!) and a safe Halloween!

Happy Halloween Kitty cross stitch pattern

Greetings fellow felines. We hope you are all well. Our humans are ALL sick (some kind of really nasty virus). We had to beg to get any kind of post out today. Mom is our typist, so she made us pick an easy topic. We wanted to talk about our plans for the new year, but she said we couldn’t do anything with the little humans who have moved in.

When Mom was little, she would spend New Year’s Eve with her grandma from Scotland. Grandma had some strongly held opinions about what needed to be done to bring luck in the new year. There was a lot of cleaning and candle-burning to get rid of the bad luck from the previous year. We decided to see if we could find any countries that linked luck to kitties. Here’s what we found:

England

If a black cat crosses your path from left to right, it’s good luck. If a black cat crosses your path from right to left (or walks away from you), it’s bad luck. If a woman receives a black cat on her wedding day, the marriage will be prosperous. Newlyweds with a black cat will have a loving, happy marriage. However, if an unmarried woman steps on a cat’s tail, she will not get married that year.

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France

In the south of France feeding black cats and treating them well will bring good luck. The rest of the country considers them unlucky. If you cross a stream with a cat in your arms, it is an omen of death for a loved one. If a cat sneezes near a bride on her wedding day, it will be a loving and prosperous marriage.

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India

In the ancient Hindu religion, cats were the symbol of childbirth and fertility. Grey cats are believed to be especially lucky. Black cats are lucky, and you should welcome them into your home. If a cat meows as a person leaves the house, it is an omen of danger for that person. If a cat washes its ear three times, an unexpected guest is coming. If you are setting out on an adventure and see a cat on your left side, you will have good luck. If a cat follows you out of your house, you can expect financial gain in the near future.

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Indonesia

If you pour water over a cat, it will rain.

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Ireland

There is a belief that kittens born in May are particularly troublesome; they may even bring snakes into the house. Killing a cat can bring you 17 years of bad luck. If you see a black cat cross your path in the moonlight, it is a omen of an epidemic-related death.

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Italy

If you hear an Italian cat sneeze, it’s good luck. But if it sneezes three times, you’ll get a cold. If a bride hears a cat sneeze on her wedding day, she will have a good marriage. However, black cats are considered bad luck in parts of Italy.

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Japan

In Japan, cats are considered lucky. In particular, black cats are lucky. Owning a black cat increases your chances of romantic success. Black cats also guard homes against evil. An additional belief is that if a cat grooms its face, you will have unexpected visitors. (No word on whether that’s lucky or not.)

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Netherlands

The Dutch believe that cats are gossips. If you have a private conversation with a cat in the room, they will tell all of your secrets. There is no record of how far they will spread the news.

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Russia.

Russians consider Russian Blue cats to be particularly lucky. When you enter a new home, you should let the cat go in first. If the cat doesn’t want to enter, it’s a sign of bad luck. Black cats are considered bad luck. If a black cat crosses your path, move to the other side of the street or spit over your shoulder three times to ward off evil spirits.

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Southern Europe

If a cat jumps across a person’s grave, they will live again as a vampire.

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United States

If a cat sits on someone’s grave, their soul is possessed by the Devil. However, if two cats are fighting over a grave, an angel and demon are fighting over the soul. If you see a white cat on the road during the day, or dream of one, it’s good luck. But seeing a white cat at night is unlucky. If you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb and palm it in your hand. If you make a wish, it will come true. If a Pennsylvania Dutch woman wants to get married, she should feed a cat from her shoe.