In the 1930s cats were again thrown from the bell-tower in Ypres. The parade was suspended during the years of World War II when the city of Ypres was all but leveled by the fighting, but resumed again in 1946. Ypres, Brussels. As Big Ben struck midnight on NYE, and people focused on their new year’s resolutions, I had but one thing on my mind and that was my long awaited trip in May … A mock witch burning also remains as a part of the festivities. Kattenstoet is a Festival of Cats that takes place every three years on the second Sunday in May in Ypres, Belgium. 'Minneke Poes' by cirdub In fact the city has a website dedicated to the Kattenstoet which can be found here. Once upon a time, being a cat in Ypres on the second week of Lent equaled certain death. The history of the festival dates back into the Middle Ages and the horror of cat torture and killing of the time. Held every three years, the Ypres Cat Festival in the heart of the city features a contemporary parade, set for Sunday, May 13 at 3 pm, full of Ypres history with floats, giant cats, … All the gorgeous medieval buildings in the city center are less than a hundred years old. These days, the town celebrates all things cat with Kattenstoet (“Cat Parade”), a festival held every three years (the 2018 edition was the 45th). Yes indeed, the persecution De Kattenstoet © BeerTourism.com of felines has been elevated to the status of a festival in Ypres, and is called the 'Kattenstoet'. Back in those days many cultures believed cats to They march through the town watched by large crowds of people, both locals and tourists, who turn out to cheer on the cats. It is held every third year on the second Sunday of May.Most recently, the 44th edition took place on May 10, 2015, with the 45th expecting to take place on May 13, 2018. Kattenstoet is a Festival of Cats that takes place every three years on the second Sunday in May in Ypres, Belgium. What “historical references” would be able to show this alleged “cat massacre” did not take place? They marched from the city hall to the belfry. The history of the festival dates back into the Middle Ages and the horror of cat torture and killing of the time. The origins of the misconception. Thereafter the ceremony dropped into obscurity, celebrated only by the ringing of the bells on 'Cat Wednesday'. I first stumbled across the Kattenstoet website in 2013 when researching the history of the cat in medieval times. Since then the event has been expanded into a parade and full-scale festival which happens once every three years. The cat not only survived the fall, but as soon as it hit the ground, it ran for its remaining eight lives. After the concept of holding cat festivals was first launched, The Edmonton Cat Festival, which was first taken place in Canada in 2014, has been considered to be one of the most well-known cat festivals that are still held annually with the view to worship cats as well a present for their magical existence. (Ypres still has a triennial festival called the Kattenstoet, but they throw feline stuffed animals.) Both the wool and the finished cloth were stored in 'Cloth Halls', where, given Medieval standards of sanitation, the product rapidly became infested with mice. Despite setbacks caused by war and recessions, Cat's Wednesday is now a well-established event which celebrates cats rather than killing them. In the fifteenth century a papal decree known as the Vox in Rama declared that the devil was known to manifest itself in the form of a black cat. If you want to attend the next Cat Festival you can start planning now. As Big Ben struck midnight on NYE, and people focused on their new year’s resolutions, I had but one thing on my mind and that was my long awaited trip in May to the Kattenstoet (Festival of The Cats) in Ypres, Belgium.I first stumbled across the Kattenstoet website in 2013 when researching the history of the cat in medieval times. Back in those days many cultures believed … ... required a drive to the isolated Sint-Sixtus Monastery, the only place that sold it. The toddling little moustached detective of very British Agatha Christie’s imagination was plagued with … A street where people passed by everyday suddenly became a place for people to connect and meet. The festival celebrates cats of legend and lore, cats in history, and cats around the world. However, perhaps to prove that the the council had no satanic intentions behind this pest-control measure, once the cloth was sold, the cats were killed. August. Ypres isn't all about medieval splendour, and monuments to the tragedy of war. Cats were introduced to the tower as a solution to the sudden arrival of mice who found the cloth attractive to eat. As all cat lovers and ancient Egyptians know, adoration is the way to go. The festival is one devoted to the cat but with a sinister backdrop. A good example of this was in the city of Ypres in Belgium. The next Festival will take place in 2024. Ypres’ Kattenstoet, the Festival of the Cats. The Kattenstoet remembers how the people of … The history of the festival dates back into the Middle Ages and the horror of cat torture and … Cat-Shaped Umbrella Stand Doesn't Want To Keep Your Brollies Organized, Alternative Hand Vacuums: Gloves That Sweep Up Pet Hair, 5 Home Remedies For When Your Dog Has A Cold, Sex Doll For Dogs Satisfies Their Urge To Purge, 5 Best Products To Keep Your Pets Off Furniture, Counters, And Other Mostly Flat Surfaces, 7 Stunning Slanted Bowls For Cats And Small Dogs, 'Nyan Juice' For Cat Lovers Supports Orange Farmers & Shelter Cats, 10 Surprising Things You Probably Don't Know About Snails, 5 Best Handheld Vacuums For Pet Hair Suction, 13 Sleeping Dogs Sure To Make You Chuckle, Drool...Over Cool Stuff To Buy Animal Lovers. They were not just put down, but taken to the local church and hurled from the bell tower. Unfortunately, this was in September and the event had just taken place … Though, thankfully, these days the real-live hissing cats have been replaced by stuffed versions of the same. In Ypres, Belgium, for instance, townspeople hurled cats from a belfry onto the cobble streets below and then set them on fire. The Cats' Parade is held every third year in the Flemish town of Ypres (Ieper) in Belgium - a celebration of the history and tradition of cats. All this cat love has resulted in some strangely charming places where travelers can stop to pay tribute. Your piece is inaccurate on many points. While the decree did not specifically say that all black cats were diabolical, the decree was bad news for dark cats. This was based on how live cats were once thrown from the bell tower during the Middle Ages. These days it is soft plush cats that are tossed to the crowd below, perhaps mocking the awful brutality that is now thankfully left to the past. Creative Commons Attribution. Back in those days many cultures believed … I first stumbled across the Kattenstoet website in 2013 when researching the history of the cat in medieval times. The parade now boasts bands, marchers and dancers dressed as cats and mice, and giant cat effigies. A few weekends ago, Joery and I made the one-hour train trip to Ieper (Ypres in French, Wipers in English) to see the triennial Cat Parade (Kattenstoet in Dutch). The Edmonton Cat Festival in Alberta, Canada. Halcyon Solutions Inc.. All Rights Reserved. The event, called Kattenstoet (Festival of Cats), still takes place every year on May 2, though since Ypres’ questionable form of pest control ended … In the parade itself many people dress as cats or witches, and during the celebrations the Medieval superstitions are mocked by the burning of a dummy 'witch'. The days of cat throwing are long gone, thankfully, ending in the early 19th century, although art from the time still marks the history. La Tomatina (Buñol, Spain) – Festival where you throw tomatoes at each otherBurning Man (Black Rock City, United States) – Annual event where a temporary city is created, sharing takes place and ends with the burning of a wooden manOutside Lands Music and Arts Festival (San Francisco, United States) – Music, arts and food festival. Today the macabre killings are remembered every three years during the Kattenstoet parade, which is however a cat-friendly event in which only toy cats are thrown from the tower, and people dress as cats and dance in the street, perhaps in a request of forgiveness to cats for their former ways. Kattenstoet: The Festival Of Cats In Belgium (Photo by cirdub/Creative Commos via Wikimedia). The Kattenstoet is a triennial parade and festival held on the second Sunday in May. Kattenstoet is a Festival of Cats that takes place every three years on The car was waiting, but in another parking lot. 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