What animals are associated with Halloween?

Celebrated on October 31, Halloween is originally a Celtic religious festival. The latter was called Samain’s Day (name of the god of Death): it was to allow the deceased to live a few hours among the living. A party linked to darkness, then.

This date is an opportunity for young and old to dress up and decorate gardens and houses. Bat on the roofs, canvases spider on the walls and black cats at the front door: the animals halloween symbols are most often black and live at night. History to recall the spirit of the dead.

The black Cat

the black cat is very often associated with witches and Halloween. Indeed, this feline with an ebony coat is at the center of many myths and beliefs throughout the world. From ancient Egypt to the Middle Ages, the black cat has long inspired fear and superstition. Considered the embodiment of evil and witchcraft by the Catholic Church, he was hunted and persecuted for a long time.

Incarnation of the Devil for some, the black cat is also seen as a lucky charm by others. In Scotland and England, it has long been believed that having a black cat in the home will bring a good fiancé to the young girl in the house. In France and Scotland during the Celtic period, black cats were seen as lucky charms.

Today, this feline like the others is celebrated around the world on August 17.

Read alsoDiscover 3 breeds of black cats

The bat

It lives in caves, abandoned or little visited places and comes out at night to hunt. This small, nocturnal carnivore has long been associated with mystery and the supernatural. Several legends lend them the power to transform into vampireinto supernatural, demonic or bloodthirsty beings.

One of the hypotheses that links the bat to Halloween goes back to the Celts. When they celebrated the end of the harvest on October 31, they lit big fires to ward off evil spirits. These fires inevitably attracted insects and in fact, the bats came to hunt them.

Today, the bat is recognized as playing a very important role in the ecological balance.

Read alsoCoronavirus: “The bat is unfairly demonized”

the spider

the spider is a bug very unpopular: some of us even have phobias of them, they are called arachnophobes. That’s it cloth which is worth to him to be a symbol of Halloween. Indeed, it often evokes an abandoned place devoid of life.

Still, seeing a spider would bring good luck. It could even announce the weather: “Morning spider: grief. Midday spider: profit. Evening spider: hope. » This proverb born in the 17th century announces that if you see a spider in the morning, it means that the dew has not bothered it, so it may rain. If we see it weaving its web at noon, it means that a storm is coming. Finally, if it is seen in the evening, it is because the weather is calm and the good weather will persist.

But other superstitions are connected with this insect. According to a belief from Slovakia, you should not kill a spider because it brings bad luck.

Read alsoHow to help insects overwinter?

The owl

Unlike its cousin the owl, symbol of wisdom and knowledge, the hibou has long been considered an ominous bird. Among the Egyptians, it was seen as a symbol of night and death. According to many popular beliefs, his hoot would mean that a misfortune is about to befall, especially if you hear it in the middle of the day.

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Its large round eyes, its nocturnal lifestyle and its ability to turn its head 270 degrees make it a raptor feared by men and linked to many superstitions.

However, this natural predator has long been the ally of farmers in the fight against animals that ravage crops. Very widespread in France, the owl is a protected species.