![]() And with the recent surge in self-proclaimed proud cat ladies, it’s no surprise that they also double as one of today’s most popular costumes. Ancient traditions usually have some kind of link to either the practice of witchcraft or the opposing beliefs against them.Īs a result, witches – and their black cats – have become a commercialized symbol of Halloween. Many of the celebrations that take place during this time of the year focus on honoring the dead. ![]() So how does this all relate to Halloween? The basis of this modern holiday revolves around all things dark and spiritual. Just take a look at television shows, movies, and books it's not uncommon to see a black cat portrayed in a spooky and tense environment. They are often linked to bad luck and are feared by some. These days, many black cat superstitions still exist. And as literature about witchcraft became more widespread, a period of “witchcraft hysteria” reigned between 15 in Europe and the New England colonies. Paired with their dark fur coats and glowing eyes, black cats were feared as much as the human witches themselves. ![]() The naturally standoffish, stealthy attitude of cats probably didn’t help these felines, either. Gareth Copley/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images Historically, this creature was known as an “ animal familiar.” Additionally, there was the Middle Age legend that the devil often gifted black cats to witches to act as their servants. Some people even believed that witches could re-incarnate into black cats after death. Legend had it that witches could transform into a black cat and back, emphasizing superstitions of these furry creatures. Since witchcraft was viewed as a practice that worshiped the devil, the Puritans became extremely wary of everything that could possibly be linked to a witch.īlack cats were high up on that list. This particular group of people lived by a strict Protestant lifestyle, shunning anything that went against their religious beliefs. It comes down to the historical superstitions of Puritan Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. So why are black cats always on the roster of spooky emblems?Īs with many aspects of holiday celebrations, history has everything to do with it. Obviously, they exist all year round and don’t exactly disappear when Oct. Yet, I - as I'm sure many others - can't help but wonder why black cats in particular are a Halloween symbol. Pumpkins are in season and ghosts are the highlight of scary stories. Want to save this post for later? Here is an image to pin to your Pinterest boards.Like most holidays, Halloween is embodied by a medley of traditional symbols and icons. Some students will only need about 30 minutes so have something extra for them to do □ This is a quick, easy art project that can be completed in one 45 minute block of time. includes the outlines with and without lines, as well as the example I show my students. To get the outlines click on the pictures here. My only rules for the designs is they must be with one color, neat, and I want them to try and do a pattern in each section. ![]() Some of the older kids might want their sections to go horizontally or diagonally. ![]() For the younger kids I have the sections already drawn in but for older (Gr4+) I let them draw the sections in themselves. Students picked a cat outline (printed on regular 8.5 x 11 paper) and ONE color for the designs. Whoola (hmm not sure how to spell that…) the finished product! Once the fence was up it was time to add the cats, the moon/bat, and the wording. It has many tears and wrinkles in it but I think it adds to the rickety image! I had painted and cut this out a few years back and have been packing it around from school to school. I did the trunk first and then added branches.Īfter I had the tree ready to go I stapled on the old, rickety fence. To make the tree I just took bulletin board paper and crumpled it up then stapled it to the board. Usually I have a flat tree but this year I wanted to have something with texture and that was more 3-D. I may be bias but I think it turned out pretty good. This week we finished our Halloween cats and I put them on the bulletin board in the hallway. I think that Halloween is my favorite holiday to decorate my classroom for. ![]()
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