- By Christina Durner, Baltimore Baking Examiner
Trick or treating has long been a tradition that brightens up the dark holiday of Halloween for children worldwide. However, this fun and festive tradition was not always as lighthearted as it is today. Modern tradition dictates that children dressed in costumes who are brave enough to knock on doors of houses that are decorated in frightening décor are rewarded with sweet treats of tootsie rolls, caramels, and if you are lucky enough full sized candy bars. But this is not the way that this tradition began. It began with the distribution of an eighth century treat known as Soul Cakes.
At the beginning of the Christian era in Britain, when the ways of Pagans were still widely accepted, Christians wanted to incorporate some of the Pagan traditions of Samhain into their own religion in an effort to convert the practicing Pagans. Samhain was the beginning of the dark half of the year and was celebrated on what later became known as All Soul’s Day. The name of this holiday has undergone reconstruction throughout the centuries, changing to All Hollow’s Evening, All Hollow’s Even, All Hollow’s Eve, and finally Halloween.
This Pagan celebration was a way of saying farewell to days of sunlight and to prepare for the days of darkness and cold weather. Large bonfires were held and it was believed that the spirits of the dead could return to the earth on this day because it is the darkest and the veil between this world and the hereafter is the thinnest.
It is during these times that it is thought that the Soul Cakes supposedly came into being. There are many variations to the origin of Soul Cakes. Some say that Soul Cakes were baked upon a bonfire as a means of lottery. But this was no ordinary lottery. If you chose the burnt cake you became the human sacrifice that ensured your people had a prosperous crop during the following year. Others claim that the cakes were thrown about the land in an effort to appease evil spirits curse to wander the land in animal form.
No one quite knows the absolute origin of the cakes, but by the eighth century this tradition became a household practice in a very different way. Many Christians at the time (and in modern times) believed in Purgatory, the stage of waiting between Heaven and Hell. Purgatory is thought to be less torturous as Hell but not exactly pleasant. It is believed that the offering of prayers for a soul that is trapped in Purgatory will bring about a saving grace. If enough prayers were offered up, that soul would pass into Heaven.
Enter the tradition of Soul Cakes. The poor and destitute would travel from door to door asking for food in exchange for prayers. Each cake would represent a prayer for a departed soul stuck in Purgatory (hence, the name “Soul Cake”.) This tradition spread rapidly and eventually morphed into what is now modern day trick or treating.
Baltimore Baking Examiner decided to make this ancient recipe just in time for Halloween. There are many varying recipes for Soul Cakes. Some contain raisins and currants while others contain cinnamon and nutmeg. The recipe used by this blog was found at ehow.com and contains oats, ginger, and molasses.
This easy to make recipe is even easier to gobble up! With the taste of spices that are seasonal in October and the moist texture provided by the oats, Soul Cakes are one treat that we guarantee you will add to your Halloween table each year.
Baltimore City residents can purchase the ingredients for this recipe at the following locations:
Fresh & Green
1020 West 41st Street
Baltimore, MD. 21211
Giant Foods
711 West 40th Street
Baltimore, MD. 21211
Eddies of Roland Park
5113 Roland Avenue
Baltimore, MD. 21210
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