Image: Souling on Halloween

Description: The Christian practice of souling on All Hallows' Eve, also known as Halloween, in an English town. The photograph is taken from "St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks", December 1882, p. 93 The magazine states that the rich gave soul cakes to the poor on Halloween; in return the recipients prayed for the souls of the givers and their friends. It further says that 'this custom became so favored in popular esteem that, for a long time, it was a regular observance in the country towns of England for small companies to go about from parish to parish at Halloween, begging soul-cakes by singing under the windows some such verse as this: "Soul, soul, for a soul-cake: Pray you, good mistress, a soul-cake!"' This verse is inscribed on the bottom of this photograph. As the text notes, this practice was also performed on Christmas.
Title: Souling on Halloween
Credit: Original publication: "St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks", Scribner & Company, December 1882, p. 93 Immediate source: "St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks", Scribner & Company, December 1882, p. 93
Author: Mary Mapes Dodge (Life time: 1905)
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No