Black cats can blame their ‘spooky fame’ on history. It comes down to the historical superstitions of Puritan Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony and their religious beliefs. Since witchcraft was viewed as a practice that worshipped the devil, the Puritans would go against everything that could possibly be linked to a witch; black cats were at the top of that list!
Legend has it that witches could transform into a black cat and back so the superstition about these furry creatures got started. Some people even believed that witches could re-incarnate into black cats after death. These days, many superstitions involving black cats still exist. They are often linked to bad luck and it’s not uncommon to see a black cat portrayed in a spooky and tense environment in movies or TV shows.
For years, witches – and their black cats – have been commercialized as a symbol of Halloween and it’s no surprise the witch costume has become one of today’s most popular Halloween costumes among crazy cat ladies.