| Halloween is the time of year when your child is | | | | next day the king was arrested and charged with |
| inundated with visions of ghosts and goblins, | | | | high treason, and was eventually executed.In the |
| witches and monsters. It's easy to understand | | | | past, in certain English fishing villages, the luck of |
| how all these creatures have have earned their | | | | the black cat-believed to bring fisherman safely |
| scary reputations-they represent unkown forces | | | | home from the sea-was such an important |
| with "evil" intent, or at least the intent to scare | | | | tradition that fishermen's wives paid a huge price |
| little children every October.Last week, Lynn, a | | | | to obtain such a pet.Even today, in many parts of |
| mother of three young children, was walking with | | | | the world, a black cat crossing one's path is |
| her youngest, when a neighbor's black cat | | | | considered good luck, the exact opposite of the |
| wandered up, looking for some friendly attention. | | | | American superstition.Historians believe that the |
| Lynn's little boy screamed in fear, demanding that | | | | Pilgrims are responsible for the black cat's evil |
| his mom rush him home, before the "bad" cat got | | | | reputation in American today. When they |
| him. They have three cats at home, incidentally, | | | | emigrated to these shores for religious reasons, |
| but none of them are black. Apparently, though, | | | | the Pilgrims brought with them a deep distrust of |
| he'd seen enough images of black cats, cavorting | | | | any superstition, believing such traditions were evil |
| with all the other Halloween spooks, that he was | | | | and dark.Since the Middle Ages, many in England |
| certain something bad was about to happen.We | | | | believed that those who practiced witchcraft used |
| humans have always viewed cats as mysterious | | | | black cats as "familiars", or creatures who could |
| creatures-they're domesticated, like dogs, but | | | | commune with evil spirits, in order to carry out |
| independent and often aloof, frequently preferring | | | | the witches' spells. Such was the fear of black |
| to be alone, requiring only sporadic affection. Still, | | | | cats that, for many years, in America, it was |
| it's easy to see how witches and ghosts became | | | | believed among certain religious sects that the |
| continuing characters in our spooky traditions, but | | | | only way to stop an evil spell was to shoot a |
| how did the black cat win its icon status in the | | | | black cat with a silver bullet.Even today, most pet |
| Scary Hall of Fame? It's actually a status that | | | | centers and animal shelters refuse to sell black |
| seems to be peculiar to America.In ancient times, | | | | cats around Halloween, for fear that they may be |
| as in many parts of the world today, the black | | | | harmed or killed.The next time a beautiful black |
| cat reperesented a harbinger of good fortune, | | | | cat crosses your-or your child's-path, wanting a |
| rather than danger. In ancient Egypt, well-to-do | | | | little affection, try talking to it. If it rubs against |
| households held their pet black cats in high regard, | | | | your leg and purrs in approval, you be the judge |
| granting them a place of honor in the home, in | | | | of its intent. It has no idea that it's an object of |
| order to guarantee riches and prosperity.Legend | | | | fear-just like your tabby at home, it just wants a |
| holds that, in the 17th century, King Charles I of | | | | little love.Brought to you by Imaginary Greetings, |
| England had a black cat which he believed was his | | | | a regular contributor of valuable family oriented |
| good luck charm, and kept a round-the-clock | | | | articles. To help create the perfect family holiday, |
| guard on the prized pet. When the cat died | | | | for the best selection of Christmas trees, lights, |
| (presumably of old age), the King lamented | | | | decorations and everything else Christmas, visit |
| publicly that his luck was at an end. The very | | | | Santa's Depot. |