{"id":641157,"date":"2024-09-07T04:34:26","date_gmt":"2024-09-07T08:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=641157"},"modified":"2024-09-07T04:34:26","modified_gmt":"2024-09-07T08:34:26","slug":"kattenstoet-the-belgian-cat-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/lifestyle\/kattenstoet-the-belgian-cat-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Kattenstoet (The Belgian Cat Festival) : Origins & Celebration Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n <\/span>\n \nHow Kattenstoet is Celebrated<\/a>
\nOrigins<\/a>
\nWhen Is Celebrated<\/a>
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As a cat lover, can you think of anything more awesome than a parade dedicated to cats? If I’ve already piqued your fancy by using “cat” and “parade” in the same sentence, you might want to start planning a trip to Belgium.<\/p>\n

The Kattenstoet (which literally translates to “the Cat Parade”) occurs in a small town named Ypres on the French border of Belgium on the second Sunday of May every three years. While this beloved festival celebrates cats, it’s based on a rather horrific tradition of the townsfolk of Ypres once engaged in annually.<\/p>\n

Read on to learn more about this unique festival, including its history and what to expect if you plan to attend in the future.<\/p>\n

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What Happens During the Festival?<\/h2>\n

The Kattenstoet parade operates much like any other parade\u2014the participants build elaborate floats, hand-sew costumes, and put on performances. It\u2019s not unusual to see modern depictions of cats in this history-focused festival, either. For example, there\u2019s one particularly popular float with a humongous Garfield cat peeking out from a cardboard box.<\/p>\n

While most of the festival is feline-focused, some aspects of the parade have nothing to do with cats. Attendees may spot knights in chainmail walking around with spears or folks dressed in medieval garb clutching pieces of fabric. This is just part of the tribute to the town’s history and humble beginnings in cloth manufacturing.<\/p>\n

The townspeople of Ypres participate in the festival by decorating their shops with cat displays or baking cat-shaped buns or cookies.<\/p>\n

After the parade procession, someone dressed in a jester costume tosses stuffed kitties from the belfry to the eagerly awaiting townspeople below, who hope to catch one of the plushies.<\/p>\n

After the jester has run out of cats to toss, a mock witch-burning event occurs, in which the crowd sets a puppet witch aflame.<\/p>\n

The festival is a popular tourist event in Belgium, bringing in thousands of visitors and strengthening the local tourism economy. Event organizers expected 50,000 spectators to come from near and far to watch the 2024 parade.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Martin Macharis (@martinmacharis)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n