All Souls' Day

from Mrs. Sharp's Traditions

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For centuries, the souls of the dead have been remembered and prayed for on November 2, All Souls' Day. This was the day Victorian families would visit the cemetery, offers prayers, and reflect on the sweetness-and often brevity-of life.

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From England comes the tradition of "soul cakes" for All Souls' Day. An ancient belief held that all unhappy souls could return to their former homes for a visit. Thus it became customary on All Souls' Eve to keep the hearth well tended and leave food, especially sweet buns known as soul cakes, on the table in case the visiting spirits were hungry.

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Soul cakes were also offered to visitors and distributed to the poor who came "a'souling," praying for a household's departed relations, in return for alms and a soul cake.

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In Mrs. Sharp's house, like Lenten hot cross buns, these delicious treats come but once a year and will eagerly be awaited by your family. When you serve your soul cakes, have the children sing this song:

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A Soul, a Soul, a Soul cake,

Please good misses a Soul cake,

An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry

Or any good thing, to make us merry.

One for Peter, two for Paul

and Three for Him who made us all.

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Into her family's soul cakes, Mrs. Sharp inserts shiny copper pennies, wrapped in aluminum foil, for the rest of the song goes:

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The lanes are very dirty

My shoes are very thin,

I've got a little pocket

To put a penny in.

If you haven't got a penny,

A ha' penny will do,

If you haven't got a ha' penny

God Bless you!

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Mrs. Sharp's Soul Cakes

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1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup currants

1/2 cup milk

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Preheat the oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugar together (with an electric mixer), then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and lemon extracts and mix well. Sift the flour and the spices together and then add to the batter mixture. Stir in the currants and add milk to make a soft dough. Form the dough into flat cakes and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pg. 211