Souling

 The Halloween tradition of Trick or Treat, usually by kids dressing up as monsters and visiting houses requesting sweets, has early origins in Medieval times, when soul cakes were given instead of candy. 

These small round cakes were called "somas" or simply just "soul cakes". They were made with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, spices, with fruit such as raisins and currents. A tradition for Halloween or All Saints Day, children used to go around knocking on doors then sing songs, hoping to get a gift of soul cakes. This medieval game still continues today. It was celebrated throughout Britain and Ireland, and other countries in Europe including Italy, Portugal and Spain. 

The custom of Souling was a Medieval Halloween form of Trick or Treating, which sometimes involved adults visiting farms and village houses, singing merry songs for apples, ale and soul cakes. Often with these groups of soulers carried lanterns made from the shells of turnips, wearing costumes to look like ghosts and witches. They carried old hobs, wooden horses on sticks.

According to sourses, children throughout the British Isles enjoyed the company of spooky Tindle Fires or Teanley Fires on Halloween, often made to ward off evil spirits. This tradition has its roots far back in pre-Roman times. After making these bonfires, people had parties with food and music. During the Middle Ages, people sometimes left a lit candle in the window at night to keep dark spirits and demons away. If a candle went out, it meant that entities could invade that particular house. 

Also hand-in-hand with soul cakes are apples and nuts. Halloween was nicknamed "Nut Crack Night" to crack open nuts indoors. Another nickname for Halloween was once "Snap Apple Night". These were very old apple games including divinations. Young women would try to bite an apple left dangling on some strip while keeping their hands behind their backs. The winner of this game would peel the apple, then throw the peeling over her shoulder. Whatever letter of the alphabet looked like when the peel landed, would mean to initial of her future husband. Apple bobbing is similar to this. Trick or treating isn't new and there are many customs in Halloween.

She Wolf Night team 🍎🎃