Every three years, thousands of people from the Belgian city of Ypres gather on the second Sunday of May. Masquerading as cats and flanked by elaborate floats, they march to Cloth Hall – the centre of the city’s thriving textile industry – from the top of which they throw stuffed toy cats. Welcome to Kattenstoet, the Festival of Cats. But first, let’s rewind a little.
A Kattenstoet attendee dressed as a cat
How it began
It all started in medieval Europe, when cats were regarded as malevolent creatures associated with the devil. Early writing drew comparisons between cats catching mice and the devil ensnaring human souls. At the beginning of the thirteenth century, Pope Gregory IX raised a call to action against reported satanic activities to which cats were inextricably linked. Many believe that this resulted in the dedicated extermination of cats across Europe. In fact, the Pope’s decree has even been held responsible for the spread of the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, which ravaged the continent in the 14th century. The deadly epidemic is attributed to the infected fleas typically found on rodents; the mass cat-killings in Europe allegedly allowed the population of rats to increase at such an exponential rate that it greatly accelerated the spread of the plague.
The connection between the disdain for cats and the Black Death may be tenuous at best, but that is not to undermine the gross mistreatment of cats in medieval Europe. Their association with evil spawned some truly horrific acts of torture, killing them in the millions. The burning and beating of cats was often a source of entertainment for townspeople. The citizens of Ypres, for example, annually celebrated Kattenstoet. At the time, the festival entailed hurling cats from the top of the belfry tower of Cloth Hall onto the cobbled streets of the town square below, after which they were set on fire.
Some believe that this was done in order to kill evil spirits and ensure the prosperity of the city. Other theories suggest that cats were brought to Cloth Hall to prevent vermin from destroying the imported wool and valuable garments that were stored in the building during the winter. Come springtime, when the clothes had been sold and the (rapidly reproducing) cats had overstayed their welcome, there was one obvious, if rather grim, solution to get rid of them. Their unfortunate reputation only reinforced the enthusiasm with which the citizens killed the cats, so much so that it became a regular ritual in Ypres. Cat’s Wednesday, as it was called, continued until 1817, which was when the last cat was killed. From then on, the day was celebrated simply by the ringing of church bells.
Kattenstoet today
The festival was symbolically revived in 1938, when a group of young boys climbed the bell tower and threw stuffed toy cats from the top. But it was only in 1955 that the city saw its first full-scale parade, complete with intricate floats and thousands of costumed citizens. As perhaps their way of reclaiming the dark history of Kattenstoet, the people of Ypres dress up as cats, mice, witches and historical figures. Accompanied by lively music and dance, brass bands and horse-riders, the procession moves down the streets before ultimately reaching Cloth Hall. A jester tosses plush cats from the top of the tower into the waiting arms of the crowd below. This is followed by a mock witch-burning, in which a giant puppet witch is set on fire.
A number of concerts and performances around the city also characterise Kattenstoet. It has become a major tourist attraction in Belgium, drawing thousands of spectators from around the world, all eager to witness the famed Festival of Cats.
