When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, May luck be yours on Halloween.

This couplet is a modern, anonymous Halloween greeting that draws on familiar Anglo-American Halloween imagery: black cats (long associated in European folklore with witchcraft and ill omens) and pumpkins/jack-o’-lanterns (a North American emblem of the holiday). It circulates primarily as a seasonal wish—appearing on greeting cards, party invitations, classroom materials, and social-media posts—rather than as a line traceable to a single literary work or identifiable speaker. Its anonymity and rhymed, sing-song cadence are typical of short holiday verses that are adapted and recopied across print ephemera and the internet.

The verse playfully juxtaposes two “spooky” symbols—prowling black cats and glowing pumpkins—with a benevolent outcome: good luck. By turning traditionally ominous motifs into a cheerful blessing, it captures Halloween’s characteristic blend of mock-fright and festivity. The rhyme and simple imagery make it easy to remember and repeat, functioning less as a profound statement than as a convivial toast for the occasion. Implicitly, it suggests that the night’s eerie theatrics are safe and communal, and that the holiday’s darkness is meant to be enjoyed rather than feared.