The other day I was reminiscing about Christmas caroling in western NY with our little country church. We were hard-core: bundled up, a caravan of cars traveling through the snow covered hills and piling out at the homes of shut-ins and elderly folks and other people on the list each year. We would sing a few carols and then shout out the last song —We Wish You a Merry Christmas! —cheeks pink with cold and clouds of breath hanging in the air. We also knew which houses had cookies and homemade caramels that they passed out to us after we sang. Today’s Christmas song is Soul Cake from Sting’s If On A Winter’s Night” album. Soul cakes are small spiced cakes marked with a cross that originated in the middle ages. Thought to be associated with All Hallows Eve, when children would roam the streets singing and asking for soul cakes, the song has become connected with Christmas and caroling.