When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween.

This quatrain is a piece of anonymous Halloween verse that circulates widely in American popular culture, especially in children’s classrooms, greeting cards, party invitations, and seasonal decorations. Its imagery—witches riding, black cats, and a personified moon—draws on a blend of early modern European witch-lore and later Victorian/early-20th-century Halloween iconography that became mainstream in the United States as Halloween shifted into a largely secular, community-centered holiday. The rhyme’s sing-song cadence and simple, vivid symbols suggest it was composed for light, festive use rather than as part of a single literary work, and it is typically presented without attribution or stable publication details.

The verse functions as a compact “signal” of the Halloween season: familiar supernatural motifs appear, and nature itself (the moon) seems complicit, laughing and whispering that the holiday is close. By personifying the moon and using playful rather than frightening language, the rhyme turns traditionally ominous symbols—witches and black cats—into charming emblems of anticipation. The rhythm and end-rhyme (“seen”/“Halloween”) make it easy to memorize and recite, reinforcing Halloween as a communal, performative occasion. Overall, the poem celebrates the pleasurable shiver of the uncanny while keeping the mood whimsical and child-friendly.