Kattenstoet (The Belgian Cat Competition) : Origins & Celebration Details
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 by utilizing “cat” and “parade” in the identical sentence, you may wish 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 Might each three years. Whereas this beloved competition celebrates cats, it’s primarily based on a somewhat horrific custom of the townsfolk of Ypres as soon as engaged in yearly.
Learn on to study extra about this distinctive competition, together with its historical past and what to anticipate in the event you plan to attend sooner or later.
What Occurs In the course of the Competition?
The Kattenstoet parade operates very similar to another parade—the members construct elaborate floats, hand-sew costumes, and placed on performances. It’s common to see trendy depictions of cats on this history-focused competition, both. For instance, there’s one notably fashionable float with a humongous Garfield cat peeking out from a cardboard field.
Whereas many of the competition is feline-focused, some facets 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 cloth. 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 outlets 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 beneath, who hope to catch one of many plushies.
After the jester has run out of cats to toss, a mock witch-burning occasion happens, through which 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 fashion in Ypres.
In the course of the Center Ages, the city’s main trade was fabric making. Material makers would use cats to maintain their warehouses freed from fabric-destroying vermin. These cats had been free to roam Ypres as they appreciated in the course of 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 deal with the sudden overpopulation. They quickly determined it solely made sense to eliminate them.
As an alternative 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 in the course of the second week of Lent on a day they known as “Cat Wednesday.” This custom continued for a whole bunch of years into the 1800s.
It’s additionally essential to do not forget that, on the time, cats had been related to witchcraft and evil, so eliminating them was a lot celebrated, and lots of seemed ahead to the occasion.
Fortunately, the final time a reside 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 an alternative of actual ones. The purpose was to acknowledge the city’s sophisticated historical past with cats and in addition have fun 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 Might. The latest competition was in Might of this 12 months, so in the event you’re hoping to e book a visit to attend the following 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 feels like an excellent afternoon to me.
The competition is a wonderful method for the city of Ypres to acknowledge its sophisticated historical past with cats whereas additionally recognizing how a lot they love and admire them at this time.
Featured Picture Credit score: Piqsels
