All Souls and el trueno de Trenton (Trenton Thunder)

11/3

el Trueno de Trenton

 Yesterday was All Souls Day, or El Dia De Los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) as it’s known in Mexico. So what better way to commemorate the day than with this “sugar skull” logo from “El Trueno de Trenton” or Trenton Thunder. Sugar skulls are both used as treats for roaming bands of children and decorations for one’s own ofrenda, or altar. 

This particular logo was developed as part of Trenton’s contribution to La Copa de Diversion, or Fun Cup, a program developed by minor league baseball to attempt to build closer ties with the Hispanic community. This year, El Trueno de Trenton was the Friday edition of the team playing as the Trenton Thunder which in fact was the Buffalo Bisons displaced when the Toronto Blue Jays left Dunedin. Trenton being available when the Yankees abandoned the city for Somerset, New Jersey. When the Bisons returned to Buffalo, the Trenton Thunder finished the year as a “Draft League” team so the team that began the year one step away from the majors winds up the season as one step away from rookie ball. So hats off to the Trenton Thunder.  

sugarskull bobblehead

As for El Dia de los Muertos, in the Catholic tradition this is the last of the Allhallowtide tridium with All Saints Day at the center with Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve) the night before and All Souls following. All Saints celebrates those saints for who there is no special day and All Souls all the rest of us.  And as anyone who has seen Disney’s Coco knows, remembrance important for as long as someone is remembered they continue to exist on the other side. 

In Mexico, November 1st is also el dia de los inocentes, or day of the innocents, for children who have died. In some parts of Mexico, Yucatan, eg, the day extend to November 6th, or San Leonardo Day.

The patron saint of political prisoners, a saint too much needed in Central America.

Poet and novelist Octavio Paz connects this day with preColumbian Aztec rituals. And in the British isles, the church clearly needed something to compete with the Druid’s Samhain.  The practice of going door to door for treats is also of British Isles origin.  People would go “a soulin,’”   where in exchange for a bit of soul cake, the visitors would pray for the departed souls of the household.

While performed in their famed Carnegie Hall Christmas concert, the song “A Soulin’” by Peter, Paul and Mary sings of this practice…

Hey ho, nobody home. Meat nor drink nor money have I none

Yet shall we be merry……

Soul, a soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.

An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry,

One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all……

God bless the master of this house, and the mistress also

And all the little children that round your table grow

The cattle in your stable and the dog by your front door

And all that dwell within your gates we wish you ten times more

Soul, a soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake…….

Go down into the cellar and see what you can find

If the barrels are not empty we hope you will be kind

We hope you will be kind with your apple and strawber'

For we'll come no more a 'soulin' till this time next year

Soul, a soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake….

The streets are very dirty, my shoes are very thin

I have 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 then God bless you

Soul, a soul, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake…

So today’s trick or treat is  wonderful mashup of Christian and pagan rites, as to tell the truth, most religious holidays are. And so we go a soulin’….

                                                   " A soulin'"