The most terrifying night of the year is usually accompanied by a series of beings that nobody really knows why they are associated with this time of year.
As every October 31st, the streets are filled with costumes, the corners of houses begin to fill with fake cobwebs and pumpkins appear in supermarkets so that you can give them terrifying shapes and thus decorate your home. But, without a doubt, what is never missing are those animals that are clearly associated with Halloween and that are not missing in the decoration of any house or in the scary stories that can be told during the night.
It is inevitable to think of certain animals that are not very popular in society and that are usually associated with the most terrifying night of the year. Our minds quickly turn to the famous black cat, spiders, bats… There are many living beings that form part of this American tradition that has reached different parts of the world and is here to stay.
But the truth is, why have these animals become typical of October 31st? Why do we think of Halloween directly, almost always, of a horrible spider, of a bat screaming and flying over a cemetery in the middle of the night, or of a black cat crossing in front of us? Well, there are reasons for each animal.
The famous black cat
Who hasn’t tried to avoid a black cat crossing their path while walking down the street? There are people who aren’t superstitious at all, but everyone has surely been startled by seeing a cat of this famous color. Well, it is precisely this fame that leads poor cats to be a typical animal of Halloween night and the legends that this night brings with it.
In the old days, specifically in medieval times, it was thought that black cats were faithful companions of witches. In fact, in stories about witches they always appear with their black cat at their side. In addition, it was believed that witches were reborn as cats when they died, hence their bad reputation. In fact, this superstition continues to this day and we must be very careful.
Beware of adoptions
Animal protection groups warn of possible sacrifices made by certain satanic groups on Halloween night and, therefore, ask that black cats not be given up for adoption during the month of October. Apparently, they do not only ask for black cats but also white ones, since what these satanic groups seek for October 31 is the total purity of the animal. The legend has made an impression on some people, but for the worse, of course.
The spiders
There are animal lovers who adore spiders for their particular body, their legs and their colours in the case of the most exotic ones, but the truth is that spiders are quite creepy animals. They appear when you least expect it in any corner, they weave their webs conscientiously in the darkest and most unsuspected corners and those that bite can cause quite a bit of damage, from a rash to death in an extreme case.
It is common to see abandoned places full of spider webs, so they are solitary and usually remain hidden during the day. There is no doubt that if there is an animal that best fits with the Day of the Dead, it is spiders, as they appear without warning and do so in uninhabited areas with dirt, something very common on Halloween.
Bats
And what about bats? These little animals that appear when night falls and fly in circles at the speed of light, making rather disturbing noises. They are also very unusual animals, since they are mammals and can fly, being the only mammal that can do so. Obviously, this peculiarity led people in ancient times to think that there was something strange about bats.
As if this were not enough, bats have a very particular body, as they are like little rats but with wings, so their appearance is disturbing. Generally, bats are also found in dark places like caves and, of course, these mammals only come out at night, something totally compatible with Halloween. To top it off, the bat is associated with vampires and with the fact of ‘sucking blood’. What more could you ask for?
Crow: always on the hunt for carrion
Who doesn’t associate crows with Halloween night? These animals are a regular in the most sinister moments of films, as well as in the tragic ones since crows are usually the usual animals of abandoned cemeteries. Who doesn’t imagine the typical crow perched on a tombstone in a cemetery?
Indeed, all the physical characteristics of the animal make it a typical living creature of Halloween night . The black feathers and those little, expressionless, black eyes give it a difficult aura and, if this were not enough, the fact that they only feed on carrion does not make them very adorable animals.
The toads
We conclude this list of little-appreciated animals that are very common on Halloween night with the famous toads. They are perhaps the least common commercially on the night of October 31, as people do not usually decorate their houses with these animals, but the truth is that their history is associated with unattractive aspects for people and disturbing legends.
The Greeks and Romans believed that frogs had two livers, one filled with deadly poison and the other with the antidote. This has led to them being part of all the legends related to witches, who supposedly used toads for their witchcraft spells. This association of toads with poison and black magic gave them their bad reputation that lasts to this day.