Ship of Fools: Chalking the door

Thread: Chalking the door Board: Ecclesiantics / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :

At our church this morning at the beginning of the service we had a short liturgy accompanied by chalking the door of the church.

I have never come across this practice before but looking it up online it seems that it is more commonly done at family homes.

Has anyone come across this being done at church?

Can anyone tell me more about the origins of this practice, where and when it started, how widespread it is?

Posted by Margaret (# 283) on :

Seconding Lucia - our new Bishop suggested at the end of our Epiphany eucharist that this was something we all might like to do, as he's done on his house, and distributed blessed chalk to those who wanted to. I'd only been vaguely aware of the practice, and I too thought it was for homes rather than churches.

Posted by Laud-able (# 9896) on :

We have chalked the church door for some years at our place: the blessed chalk - together with a leaflet of the prayers - is avaible for members of the congregation to take away and chalk their doors at home.

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

I'd never heard of this custom before it was mentioned on the Ship a year or two ago. So I don't think it's traditionally an English custom. I've never seen it done. Perhaps it's a bit like Christmas trees which we're always told came from Germany with Prince Albert and caught on. If so, I'm not sure this one will. It looks a bit obscure. Which country does it actually come from?

Lucia, which country are you in? Margaret, you're in the West Midlands. Is it usual there, the way that churching is alleged to survive in the Potteries when it seems to have more or less died out everywhere else? Or have you encountered it as an innovation.

As a matter of curiosity, where it is traditional, do the chalk marks go actually on the door, or on the lintel above it?

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

I've never heard of it either, but there's a rather nice explanation here for those, erm, in the same boat as me.

Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :

This is an old Catholic custom, dating from the Middle Ages. We've done it at my house for years. I have seen some churches do it, as well.
http://www.onepeterfive.com/the-chalking-of-the-doors-an-epiphany-tradition-explained/

http://www.churchyear.net/epiphany.html

Surprisingly, here is a Methodist explanation:
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/an-epiphany-blessing-of-homes-and-chalking-the-door

Posted by ThunderBunk (# 15579) on :

I was told it came from Austria. As I had long assumed that the rector in question had simply made it up on the spot (nothing like a trad Anglo-Catholic for making tradition up to suit his own narrative), I have no idea how true that is, and cannot at this moment find any corroboration.

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

Well, the sheet I got last night said "southern Germany" so close to Austria again.

Jengie

Posted by Gramps49 (# 16378) on :

We have done it for the past five years at our church. We actually have a chili luncheon after church and then at the conclusion of the luncheon we chalk the door.

We have had the chili luncheon for over ten years, but five years ago we tied it to Epiphany because the "wise men brought spices from the East." Think of it--what would our food taste like, if it weren't for wise people bringing spices back from the East?

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Margaret:
Our new Bishop ... distributed blessed chalk to those who wanted.

Blessed chalk? [Confused]

That really does not sit well with my Christian understanding.

[ 09. January 2017, 12:38: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

Chalk over which a blessing has been pronounced.

You can decide how much credence you give to the effectiveness of the blessing. I see it as no more than a dedication of an object to a specific purpose. A nice way to connect what happens at home with what happens at church but nothing more.

Jengie

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

What Jengie jon said. This sort of blessing is known technically, IIRC, as an 'invocative' blessing, which does not render the object blessed as perpetually sacred.

I thought this blessing of chalk business was a Roman Catholic thingy, mostly. Do the Orthodoxen do it as well?

BF wanders off, muttering 'can't do any harm, might do some good'

IJ

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

I've seen it in German speaking Italy - Sud Tyrol.

Posted by Forthview (# 12376) on :

It is indeed a very common custom in Austria. Epiphany is a public holiday in Austria.There are people who go around singing called Starsingers - it's a bit like groups of carol singers in the UK. Amongst the group there are the Three Kings,as they are traditionally known in Germanic language countries and a person carrying a star.
On the walls of the houses and farms which they pass they will chalk 20 K + M + B 17.

Kaspar,Melchior and Balthasar are the names which are traditionally given to the Three Kings.

As others have said KMB or CMB can be interpreted as Christus mansionem benedicat (May Christ bless this house)

Posted by venbede (# 16669) on :

Another Epiphany custom is to announce the date of Easter.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

The Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary bless chalk and announce the date of Easter at the National Epiphany festival each year.

Posted by Margaret (# 283) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Enoch:
Margaret, you're in the West Midlands. Is it usual there, the way that churching is alleged to survive in the Potteries when it seems to have more or less died out everywhere else? Or have you encountered it as an innovation.

As a matter of curiosity, where it is traditional, do the chalk marks go actually on the door, or on the lintel above it?

I don't think it's a Midlands custom at all - our new bishop has arrived from Woolwich, and I think he's originally from Northampton, so he must have picked up the custom somewhere en route. The only time I've ever seen it before is on a house in (surprise!) Walsingham. I've always vaguely associated it with German-speaking countries, but perhaps that's because there are supposed to be relics of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral.

I think above the front door is the traditional position, or if that's not possible beside the door, or as near as possible.

Posted by Lucia (# 15201) on :

Thank you for all your replies. Most interesting!

The church where I encountered this is in Oxfordshire in the UK. Apparently they have been doing it there for some years but the priest leading the service was a local minister who has only recently started helping out at the church. I shall have to ask the vicar when I see him. He is an anglo-catholic so it fits with it being a tradition of Roman Catholic origin.
We're having some interesting new experiences in this church. Midnight mass at Christmas was the works with incense - something else I have never experienced!

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :

Sending chalk home at Epiphany has been happening here for years, 10 or more. I am not sure if it was dropped this year or not as the minister who introduced it has retired. But he is another anglo-catholic.

Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :

Seconding that this is a Roman Catholic custom from S. Germany, Austria and similar areas.

It is sometimes seen in Britain as the OP'er and others note. There is one house near my gran's in Morden which I pass when popping to the shops for sherry and other essentials which does it every year, and I've seen it on at least one Anglo-Catholic vicarage door as well.

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

Been done at my local shack for the last decade or so. I've seen it done in quite a few other places too, often accompanied by journeying Magi who travel around the homes of parishioners (I think this aspect comes from Papua where they journey in a tiny boat).

I was told that it was a custom throughout central Europe in the Middle ages and possibly came from the Orthodox practice of blessing homes in Epiphany. Certainly the local Orthodox clergy seem very busy during Epiphany near me in running from house to house, but while there seems to be lots of myron oil (I presume that's what it is) and enough water to fill a few swimming pools, I have yet to see them using chalk.

Posted by Forthview (# 12376) on :

I'm sure quite a few people here know of Silent Night in German. The discussion of the Epiphany Starsingers (Sternsinger) reminds me of a verse which is sung at that time in Austria,although I do not think that the words date back to Joseph Mohr.

Stiile Nacht,heilige Nacht
Seht den Stern in grosser Pracht
Er fuehrte die Weisen ins heilige Land
Wo ein jeder zu sich fand
Christus den Heiland der Welt.

A rough and ready though not literally accurate translation into English might be :

Silent Night,holy Night
See the star burning bright.
It led the Wise Men to holy ground
Where to their joy each one found
Christ the Saviour of all.

Posted by Lionel Pugh-Critchley (# 18700) on :

This custom does seem to be catching on. A friend told me this church in Rugby does it.

I found online guides to doing it here and here.

I have to say I've noticed very few chalked doors myself. Anyone spotted any?

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

Would you notice, given that it might be against a light colour surface and the chalk marks need not be clear?

Jengie

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

quote:
Originally posted by leo:
The Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary bless chalk and announce the date of Easter at the National Epiphany festival each year.

Here's this year's chalk blessing.

Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jengie jon:
Would you notice, given that it might be against a light colour surface and the chalk marks need not be clear?

Jengie

Our priests have several different shades of chalk, so the markings stand out on any color wall.

[ 13. January 2017, 17:20: Message edited by: Ceremoniar ]

Posted by The Scrumpmeister (# 5638) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:

quote:
Originally posted by Margaret:
Our new Bishop ... distributed blessed chalk to those who wanted.
Blessed chalk? That really does not sit well with my Christian understanding.

How so?

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ceremoniar:
Our priests have several different shades of chalk, so the markings stand out on any color wall. [/QB]

Or be hidden against any colour wall. The assumption that you are making is that marking is done so as to be seen.

Jengie

Posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop (# 10745) on :

quote:
Originally posted by leo:

quote:
Originally posted by leo:
The Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary bless chalk and announce the date of Easter at the National Epiphany festival each year.
Here's this year's chalk blessing.

Yes indeed! I went along last Saturday, this year to the Church of SS Anne & Columba, Hoxton, north London. The GSS Epiphany festival is the only time I experience the blessing of chalk and the proclamation of the date of Easter and all the other dates for the new year. I took my piece of chalk away with me.

Posted by Mudfrog (# 8116) on :

I've done it a few times in The Salvation Army

Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Mudfrog:
I've done it a few times in The Salvation Army

Really Mudfrog? I find that really interesting as I wouldn't have thought that central European customs would necessarily have had much input into SA practice. Is this a recent thing?

Posted by Notapassingphase (# 18422) on :

We did it this year for the first time, not Anglo-catholic, so I think it's spreading? I posted about it on FB and was told that it's very common in Poland.

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