Most recognized common iconic symbols to use for celebrating holidays; red-suited Santa’s for Christmas, fuzzy bunnies with brightly decorated eggs can only mean one thing, Easter! (though I still think eggs and bunnies are odd pairing) and the ever popular bright orange pumpkin for Halloween. But what about those other symbols for All Hallow’s Eve; black cats, ghoulish monsters, ghosts and owls.
One of my all-time favorite of animals are owls. By learning a little about its historical and legendary significances, you will understand why the feathered little creatures have been tied to the holiday of Halloween, and besides that, owl costumes are great for kids. 
Owls are thought to possess mystical powers, in ancient Greece, Athena’s (the Goddess of Wisdom) favorite creature was an owl, it lived in the temple where it was revered and protected. Because of its elevated status, the owl has been associated with the power of wisdom, hence the phrase, “Wise as an owl”. 
On the flip side, the Roman’s feared the owl and when some unlucky soul heard the owl’s hoot, it was interpreted as a harbinger of death and doom.
They even believed that witches took the form of an owl and would seek out babies to find and suck the blood out of. When Rome moved west they took a lot of their superstitions with them and for the hapless owl, their beliefs doomed their very existence. In parts of England, it was considered bad luck to see an owl, worse to hear it. 
They thought of birds as evil, and if an owl flew into your house, you were to kill it immediately before it flew out, taking all the home’s luck with it. It is interesting to note though, that in areas not conquered by the Romans, like Scotland and Northern England, the owl was actually taken as a sign of good luck, especially if it did fly into your home.
But where the owl became entwined with Halloween lore was its association with the bat. Owls often hunt bats as prey, and since bats have been maligned throughout history as loathsome, blood-sucking creatures, well, you can guess how the owl got its bad rap.
Regardless of the owl’s past, they are still wonderful creatures to happen to come upon and unlike those who follow English and Roman mythology, it I am lucky enough to hear an owl’s hoot, I always glad to have heard it. 
