All About Mascots

A mascot is a person, animal, or an object that is used to represent a large group with a common identity. They represent and can be the face of an organization and can sometimes be inspired to help bring the group back. Mascots can be used to promote and advertise. For example, the rabbit can be used to advertise for the General Mills cereal Trix.

However, the world of sports is where the most mascots are located. Every team has a mascot of some sorts that is the pride of their team. They can be a logo, person, live animal, or object. Some teams may have people dress up as costumed characters that appear at games or related events to promote the fans. Because of the rise of advertising, teams have been encouraged to create mascots, even if they aren't really close to what the team is about. For example, the Philadelphia Phillies' created their mascot and called him the Phillie Phanatic. However, he represents little to nothing about the team as he only wears a jersey. When a mascot has reached a certain status, they can be put into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

The word mascot has been used back to a dialect used in Provence. It was used to describe anything that a household used to bring luck. It is assumed that the word comes from the word 'masqu', meaning masked or concealed. The word was sparsely used but increased in popularity during the 1880's. This is when Edmond Audran, who was a French composer, wrote a comic that was called 'La Mascotte'. This word has had different meanings around the world, though. Before this word was used in the comic strip mentioned above, it had been used in France before. This was a common term that was used among gamblers. This word was derived from the word 'masco', which meant witch. It was also suspected to have been derived from the word 'mascotto', a Portuguese word that meant witchcraft. Finally, the word 'mascoto' is another word it could have been derived from, which means spell.

Audran's comic that was mentioned above became very popular. Therefore, it was translated into English. This is where the English world 'Mascot' first appeared. This was a defined as any animal, person, or object that brings good luck. It has been incorporated with the similar words above, but the word 'mascotte' is given most resemblance.

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