As a cat lover, are you able to consider something extra superior than a parade devoted to cats? If I’ve already piqued your fancy through the use of “cat” and “parade” in the identical sentence, you may need to begin planning a visit to Belgium.
The Kattenstoet (which accurately interprets to “the Cat Parade”) happens in a small city named Ypres on the French border of Belgium on the second Sunday of Could each three years. Whereas this beloved competition celebrates cats, it’s primarily based on a relatively horrific custom of the townsfolk of Ypres as soon as engaged in yearly.
Learn on to be taught extra about this distinctive competition, together with its historical past and what to anticipate in case you plan to attend sooner or later.
What Occurs In the course of the Competition?
The Kattenstoet parade operates very similar to every other parade—the members construct elaborate floats, hand-sew costumes, and placed on performances. It’s commonplace to see trendy depictions of cats on this history-focused competition, both. For instance, there’s one significantly widespread float with a humongous Garfield cat peeking out from a cardboard field.
Whereas a lot of the competition is feline-focused, some features of the parade don’t have anything to do with cats. Attendees might spot knights in chainmail strolling round with spears or of us wearing medieval garb clutching items of material. That is simply a part of the tribute to the city’s historical past and humble beginnings in fabric manufacturing.
The townspeople of Ypres take part within the competition by adorning their retailers with cat shows or baking cat-shaped buns or cookies.
After the parade procession, somebody wearing a jester costume tosses stuffed kitties from the belfry to the eagerly awaiting townspeople under, who hope to catch one of many plushies.
After the jester has run out of cats to toss, a mock witch-burning occasion happens, wherein the group units a puppet witch aflame.
The competition is a well-liked vacationer occasion in Belgium, bringing in 1000’s of tourists and strengthening the native tourism financial system. Occasion organizers anticipated 50,000 spectators to return from close to and much to look at the 2024 parade.
How Did the Parade Come to Be?
Whereas the parade celebrates our adoring relationship with our cats, it wasn’t all the time this manner in Ypres.
In the course of the Center Ages, the city’s major trade was fabric making. Fabric makers would use cats to maintain their warehouses freed from fabric-destroying vermin. These cats had been free to roam Ypres as they appreciated throughout the winter months, however after they began reproducing too rapidly, the city officers realized they had been in over their heads. Cats had been overrunning the city, they usually didn’t know what to do to handle the sudden overpopulation. They quickly determined it solely made sense to do away with them.
As a substitute of transport them off someplace or coping with them humanely, they determined to toss cats from the belfry tower to their deaths. They’d do that yearly throughout the second week of Lent on a day they known as “Cat Wednesday.” This custom continued for lots of of years into the 1800s.
It’s additionally vital to do not forget that, on the time, cats had been related to witchcraft and evil, so eliminating them was a lot celebrated, and plenty of regarded ahead to the occasion.
Fortunately, the final time a dwell cat was thrown off the belfry was in 1819.
Ypres officers determined to reignite the custom in 1937, besides they selected to toss stuffed cats from the belfry as a substitute of actual ones. The objective was to acknowledge the city’s difficult historical past with cats and in addition rejoice them. The custom was placed on the again burner throughout World Battle II however was again in full swing by 1946 when city officers added a parade to the enjoyable.
When Is the Kattenstoet?
The Kattenstoet is usually held triennially on the second Sunday of Could. The latest competition was in Could of this yr, so in case you’re hoping to ebook a visit to attend the subsequent one, you’ll have to attend till 2027.
Ultimate Ideas
The Kattenstoet parade is one thing for cat lovers so as to add to their bucket listing. Being surrounded by 1000’s of different feline-loving people appears like a fantastic afternoon to me.
The competition is a wonderful method for the city of Ypres to acknowledge its difficult historical past with cats whereas additionally recognizing how a lot they love and admire them at this time.
Featured Picture Credit score: Piqsels