Hallowe'en is a very special time in the church's year. On 1st November the church remembers all the saints on All Saints' Day. On 2nd November, All Souls' Day, Christians remember the people they love and miss, who have died.
This year on 31st October, All Hallows' Eve, ('hallow' is another word for 'saints'), we welcomed people into church to experience a traditional Hallowe'en. People were welcomed in by a plethora of pumpkins, and invited to light a candle in memory of a loved one, say a prayer and enjoy the holy space. We rewarded them in turn with a Soul Cake, a Medieval tradition for Hallowe'en.
Soul Cakes
It is a Medieval Christian tradition that poor people and children would visit people's houses offering to pray for their families and for people who had died. They would be given a Soul Cake as a 'thank-you'
Message from Penny
It was a very happy and successful hour on Tuesday evening. When I saw all the soul cakes I thought we would be eating them until next week. In fact, so many people came, we ran out by 6.15. We think there were probably about 500 visitors! Lots of people said thank you and how much they had enjoyed being in the church and the welcome.'
Certain areas of the church; the Aumbry, the Lectern and the Paschal Candle were highlighted and signs located in these areas explained a little bit about their significance.