Soul Cakes & Garrison Keillor, A New Halloween Tradition  It’s been said that Halloween started as far back as 5 B.C in the British Isles, out of the pagan celebration of Samhain. It was the day when the Celts celebrated the end of the harvest season, it marked the change in season from the “lighter half” of the year to the “darker half.” They believed that during this day, the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead became so thin that spirits could cross over. To protect themselves from the evils spirits, people dressed up in masks and veils so the evil spirits won’t recognize them. Later on, as an attempt to take over the pagan holidays, this Samhain celebration became lumped together by the Catholic  church with its celebrations of All Saints’ Day, to honor all the Catholic saints, and All Souls’ Day, to honor those who are dead. In the medieval times, on All Souls’ Day, kids go out and beg for soul cakes, little cakes usually filled with nutmeg, cinammon, or other sweet spices, currants, and topped with the mark of a cross. And for each one they received they prayed for the soul of a dead relative of the person who gave the cake, this would later translate to the modern day trick-or-treating. Where I’m from, Indonesia, we don’t have Halloween. And normally, I’m always too shy to ever participate in Halloween; too self-conscious to dress up in costumes and too old for trick-or-treating. But this year I got an invitation to a friend’s Halloween celebration, after living in the states for a decade, I thought I should give this holiday a shot. Eager to finally have the chance to celebrate Halloween, I attempted to recreate these soul cakes for my friend’s Halloween party. I thought they came out rather dry and dense, but it turned out that everyone loved them. One person actually asked for the recipe, which made me feel good, because it feels like as I’m passing along the recipe, I’m also passing along the tradition. I’m neither Irish nor Catholic, so I guess they’re not really my tradition, but what I’ve realized from the history of Halloween, is that it really doesn’t matter. People adopt other people’s traditions into their own traditions all the time, just like how the Catholics took over pagan celebrations way back in the middle ages. And the same thing still happens today. All people want is just a reason to celebrate, to get together with our loved ones, eat some good food and have a merry time. No matter what dead souls we’re praying for or what evil spirits we’re trying to ward off or which holy figure we’re honoring, traditions at their core are just people trying to find ways to be happy and feel safe together. So as my friends and I sat together in a circle, by the candle light, eating soul cakes, mummy hot dogs, and witch-shaped tortilla chips, while listening to Garrison Keillor’s on the radio, I was glad to finally start my own Halloween tradition. ——————————— » Get the Recipe: Soul Cakes

Soul Cakes & Garrison Keillor, A New Halloween Tradition 

It’s been said that Halloween started as far back as 5 B.C in the British Isles, out of the pagan celebration of Samhain. It was the day when the Celts celebrated the end of the harvest season, it marked the change in season from the “lighter half” of the year to the “darker half.” They believed that during this day, the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead became so thin that spirits could cross over. To protect themselves from the evils spirits, people dressed up in masks and veils so the evil spirits won’t recognize them.


Later on, as an attempt to take over the pagan holidays, this Samhain celebration became lumped together by the Catholic  church with its celebrations of All Saints’ Day, to honor all the Catholic saints, and All Souls’ Day, to honor those who are dead. In the medieval times, on All Souls’ Day, kids go out and beg for soul cakes, little cakes usually filled with nutmeg, cinammon, or other sweet spices, currants, and topped with the mark of a cross. And for each one they received they prayed for the soul of a dead relative of the person who gave the cake, this would later translate to the modern day trick-or-treating.


Where I’m from, Indonesia, we don’t have Halloween. And normally, I’m always too shy to ever participate in Halloween; too self-conscious to dress up in costumes and too old for trick-or-treating. But this year I got an invitation to a friend’s Halloween celebration, after living in the states for a decade, I thought I should give this holiday a shot.


Eager to finally have the chance to celebrate Halloween, I attempted to recreate these soul cakes for my friend’s Halloween party. I thought they came out rather dry and dense, but it turned out that everyone loved them. One person actually asked for the recipe, which made me feel good, because it feels like as I’m passing along the recipe, I’m also passing along the tradition.


I’m neither Irish nor Catholic, so I guess they’re not really my tradition, but what I’ve realized from the history of Halloween, is that it really doesn’t matter. People adopt other people’s traditions into their own traditions all the time, just like how the Catholics took over pagan celebrations way back in the middle ages. And the same thing still happens today. All people want is just a reason to celebrate, to get together with our loved ones, eat some good food and have a merry time. No matter what dead souls we’re praying for or what evil spirits we’re trying to ward off or which holy figure we’re honoring, traditions at their core are just people trying to find ways to be happy and feel safe together.


So as my friends and I sat together in a circle, by the candle light, eating soul cakes, mummy hot dogs, and witch-shaped tortilla chips, while listening to Garrison Keillor’s on the radio, I was glad to finally start my own Halloween tradition.

———————————

» Get the Recipe: Soul Cakes