 Soul cake, the soul cake is a small round cake which is traditionally made for all hellos Eve, all saints' day and all souls' day to commemorate the dead in the Christian tradition. The cakes, often simply referred to as souls, are given out to solars mainly consisting of children and the poor who go from door to door during the days of all hellotide singing and saying prayers for the souls of the givers and their friends. The practice in England dates to the medieval period, and was continued there until the 1930s, by both Protestant and Catholic Christians. The practice of giving and eating soul cakes continues in some countries today, such as Portugal where it is known as Paportius and in other countries. It is seen as the origin of the practice of trick or treating. In Lancashire and in the northeast of England they are also known as heart cakes. In the United States, some churches, during all hellotide, have invited people to come and receive sweets from them and have offered prayer for the souls of their friends, relatives or even pets as they do so. Among Catholics, traditionally the soul cakes are blessed by a priest before being distributed on the eve of all saints' Halloween in exchange. The children promise to pray for the souls of the deceased relatives of the giver during the month of November, which is a month dedicated especially to praying for the holy souls in Purgatory. Any leftover soul cakes are shared among the distributing family.