[Claud]

Going out trick or treating is very Christian in its origins, but we’re a long way from what it used to be. One way to reclaim some of that is to have kids pray for the departed souls for each person who gives them treats:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_cake

“A soul cake is a small round cake which is traditionally made for All Saints Day or All Souls’ Day to celebrate the dead.[1] The cakes, often simply referred to as souls, were given out to soulers (mainly consisting of children and the poor) who would go from door to door on Halloween singing and saying prayers for the dead. Each cake eaten would represent a soul being freed from Purgatory. The practice of giving and eating soul cakes is often seen as the origin of modern trick-or-treating.

...

American Hallowe’en composer Kristen Lawrence found two historical tunes associated with soul cakes as she was researching souling songs for her 2009 A Broom With A View album. As Lawrence heard the traditional Cheshire tune, she was struck that the beginning notes were the same as the mediaeval plainchant Dies Irae, “Day of Judgment”, calling the people to repent and pray for the dead. It seemed plausible that the Cheshire tune could be a folk corruption of the chant as children and beggars asked for cakes in return for praying for the dead.”

[mlizzy]

The cakes, often simply referred to as souls, were given out to soulers (mainly consisting of children and the poor) who would go from door to door on Halloween singing and saying prayers for the dead. Each cake eaten would represent a soul being freed from Purgatory.

Wow, if only this was still done, it would be grand. I wouldn't mind putting tombstones out in the yard for the various saints either, and I wouldn't even mind a kid with a costume bearing grill marks for St. Laurence, etc. :)