Despite many years of culpable deniability, the British do indeed have a Halloween-esque tradition called Souling. Before the Reformation, on November 1st and 2nd, town folk would visit door to door, singing songs in exchange for food or money - a token given to the church for a prayer for the dead. Post Reformation the tradition remained with little change, except that food - or Soul Cakes - were given instead of alms. Today, Souling has become a lighthearted childrens game kept alive by a few traditionalists in Cheshire.
Lighthearted or not, Souling is believed to be a modernization of the Feast of the Dead, specifically, the pagan practice of putting out food for the recently departed.*
*Maypoles, Martyrs and Mayhem By Cooper and Sullivan.
I like the name "Souling." It sounds festive, doesn't it? In the Dominican Republic, where I was born, we celebrate on All Hallow's Day. We clean the graves of our dead, bring them food and drinks, and we dance and sing for them. So, I guess we have a soul too ;)
ReplyDelete