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 pageant celebrates cats, it’s based mostly on a reasonably horrific custom of the townsfolk of Ypres as soon as engaged in yearly.
Learn on to be taught extra about this distinctive pageant, together with its historical past and what to anticipate for those who plan to attend sooner or later.
What Occurs Through 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 fashionable depictions of cats on this history-focused pageant, both. For instance, there’s one notably well-liked float with a humongous Garfield cat peeking out from a cardboard field.
Whereas a lot of the pageant is feline-focused, some elements of the parade don’t have anything to do with cats. Attendees could 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 pageant 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 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, through which the group units a puppet witch aflame.
The pageant is a well-liked vacationer occasion in Belgium, bringing in hundreds of tourists and strengthening the native tourism economic system. Occasion organizers anticipated 50,000 spectators to come back 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 at all times this manner in Ypres.
Through the Center Ages, the city’s major business was fabric making. Fabric makers would use cats to maintain their warehouses freed from fabric-destroying vermin. These cats have been free to roam Ypres as they appreciated throughout the winter months, however after they began reproducing too rapidly, the city officers realized they have been in over their heads. Cats have been overrunning the city, and so they didn’t know what to do to deal with the sudden overpopulation. They quickly determined it solely made sense to eliminate them.
As a substitute of delivery them off someplace or coping with them humanely, they determined to toss cats from the belfry tower to their deaths. They might do that yearly throughout the second week of Lent on a day they known as “Cat Wednesday.” This custom continued for tons of of years into the 1800s.
It’s additionally vital to do not forget that, on the time, cats have been related to witchcraft and evil, so eliminating them was a lot celebrated, and plenty of seemed 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 an alternative of actual ones. The aim was to acknowledge the city’s sophisticated historical past with cats and likewise rejoice them. The custom was placed on the again burner throughout World Conflict 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 newest pageant was in Could of this yr, so for those who’re hoping to ebook 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 checklist. Being surrounded by hundreds of different feline-loving people feels like an amazing afternoon to me.
The pageant is a superb manner for the city of Ypres to acknowledge its sophisticated historical past with cats whereas additionally recognizing how a lot they love and admire them immediately.
Featured Picture Credit score: Piqsels
