Happy Halloween!
Halloween has never been one of my favorite holidays, but in memory of my late friend Katie (who was born on Halloween and loved everything about the holiday) I'm going to write a special blog post that is Halloween themed!
When we talk about Halloween, we think candy, costumes, pumpkins, witches, and black cats. And speaking of black cats, we have all heard that black cats are bad luck or that if a black cat crosses your path, you'll have bad luck. But where did this superstition come from and why should we still believe it today?
According to American Folklore, this superstition dates back to the 1500s when people believed that witches could shape-shift into the form of black cats so they could spy on people and go wild without anyone tracing it back to them. The most popular folk tale seems to involve a father and son who were traveling home late one night and saw a black cat cross their path. Apparently these guys were idiots and threw stones at the poor cat (thinking it was a witch's familiar) and the stone hit the cat in the left leg. The poor cat shrieked and ran under the stoop of a house that was long suspected of belonging to a witch. The next morning, the father and son met the same old woman at the local market place and noticed she was limping on her left leg. From that day on, the people in that town believed that the woman was an evil witch during the day and prowled the night as a mischievous black cat.
So...what are the takeaways from this story? Well I guess if you believe that witches turn into cats (and I'm not talking animagi from Harry Potter...like Professor McGonagall)...maybe you should still be afraid of black cats. Sorry, can't help you there. But for the rest of you who aren't believers, can we just admit that this is total bogus? These poor black cats got such a bad reputation because of a silly coincidence. And let's not even get started on throwing rocks at a poor kitty. Just don't do that! Ever!
Now that you know, it's time to change your mind set and stop thinking that black cats are bad luck! They are just like any other cat! They can be loving, sweet, smart, playful, and snuggly! Just ask Mr Kat! He'll show you just how loving and playful he can be!
So go out there and embrace the black cats in your life or go adopt one at your local shelter! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Happy Birthday Katie. I miss you everyday.
Have any topics you'd like to see covered in next week's blog? Post them below in the comments!
Have a Waggly Tail Day!
