The End of the Harvest, the Beginning of Winter

The first week of November has always been a time of festivals and celebrations in Britian, marking the end of the harvest and beginning of Winter at a time when food and firewood are still abundant and everyone wants cheering up as the nights get longer and the weather colder. Everyone knows the dates of Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night, which in the last twenty years have become very commercial and standardised throughout the country. However this period has many days marked with different traditions, many of which are now becomming rolled into those two days, but spreading the party across the week seems a fun way to keep the traditions alive.

4th Thursday of October - Punky Night

This year - 24th October 2002, Next year - 23rd October 2003

This is the night when children in the South of England would carve their ‘Punkies’, or mangelwurzels into Jack O'Lanterns. Once carved the children would go out in groups who would march through the streets, singing traditional ‘punky’ songs, calling in at friendly houses, competing for best lantern with rival groups they meet and the streets would be lit with the light of the Punkies. This would continue through the weekend.

Elsewhere in England Lanterns are made in the run up to Halloween, from a swede or turnip, though pumpkins are now popular lanterns for windows the smalls root vegetables make better carried lanterns. These are sometimes carried in the hands, sometimes hung from a string, and sometimes raised up on a pole so they can be put up to bedroom windows to scare the inhabitants!

29th October - Fright Night ???

31st October - Halloween (All Hallows Eve)

Though now ubiquitous was celebrated mainly in the north and west of Britain, those areas which kept a strong folk tradition with pagan beliefs. It is here that the lanterns of the days before come into their own, and are placed in the front windows of houses and on gateposts to ward away evil spirits (and marking friendly houses) and lighting the way of those children who have been competing for best lantern all weekend.

These children will tonight disguise themselves and become Guysers (possibly a confusion with Guy Fawkes Night). Traditionally girls will dress as boys,

November 1st - All Hallows Day

Or All Saint's Day.

The Day of the Dead.

The day of the dead is a celebration most famously practiced in Mexico which lasts in fact two days, All Saints Day and All Souls day. This enthusiastic regional extention of the catholic festivals is part goulish carnival

November 2nd – All Souls Day

Following the rememberance of the Saints All Souls Day is the day of the year that on which the Soul's of the all the dead should be remembered and commemorated by the living. Established in the 10th Century, Christian dogma suggests that this is the day upon which those souls locked in purgatory can be aided on their journey by the prayers of the living. Masses and prayers are then the order of the day. Folk tradition as usual takes this idea and runs.

Throughout the west midlands, from Coventry to Manchester to Sheffeild, the tradition of Souling occurs on All Souls Day. In years gone by this would mean baking and exchanging Soul Cakes, and performing Souling Night Plays.

Soul Cakes would be taken door to door by children, who would exchange them with householders for gifts of sweets, pennies, and this would be good luck for both parties. Those without the wherewithall to make Soul Cakes would go door to door and recive cakes and alms, which again would be good luck for both parties

Families would have a Soul's Day supper, at which the aquired Soul Cakes woul;d be eaten along side the usual meal, and extra portions would be laid out for deceased relatives.

Soul Cake

• Ingredients:
• Two sticks butter :
• 3 and 3/4 cups sifted flour:
• 1 cup fine white sugar:
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or mace:
• 1 teaspoon each, cinnamon, ginger, allspice:
• 2 eggs:
• 2 teaspoons malt vinegar (or cider vinegar):

Oven: 350 degrees bake 20-25 minutes.

Method: Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender (or a large fork); Blend in the sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and spice; and mix to a stiff dough with the beaten eggs and vinegar. Knead thoroughly and roll out, 1/4 inch thick; cut into 3 inch rounds and set on greased baking sheets. Prick cakes with a fork and bake; sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar while still warm. .

Alternative method: Cream butter and sugar. Mix in lightly beaten eggs and vinegar. Sift flour and spices, add and mix to a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly and follow the rest of the directions above.

Today Soul Cakes are no longer made, the tradition having merged with Halloween in the last twenty years, and 'Soul Caking' is little more than the practice of children going door to door to ask for Soul Cakes, as the traditional cakes are no longer made, the cakes they recieve are sweets and money. The Halloween tradition having replaced the older custom.

November 4th – Mischief Night

In the US 'Trick or Treat' is associated with Halloween, but traditionally it comes from tonight, Mischief night.

King Tut's Night

Fittingly for a period connected with all things spooky, this is the aniversary of the discovery of the Tomb of King Tutanhkamun by Howard Carter in 1916. The Ancient Egyptian boy king whose Tomb is the richest ever found. At the time there were rumours of a curse on those who discovered it, and the publicity that surrounded it prompted a facination with ancient Egypt and a range of Horror film cliches based arround Egypt and particularly Mummy's.

November 5th – Guy Fawkes / Bonfire night.

Thanks to LÒÒnytunes for the Soul Cake recipe.