But Chalking The Door In Scotland Meant Something Else
Around 50 houses in Seaford now have the ancient blessing marked on their doors and Folkes said it was “a lovely and significant tradition for us to embrace at a time of such worry and uncertainty.” Parishioners Kay and Keith Blackburn had their front door chalked and said the ritual was not only a lovely way to bless your house, but it makes one consider the role of the Three Kings. However, to leave this article thinking you know all about the history of chalking doors in “Britain,” you would be wrong, because what you have learned is the origin of the ritual in “England.”
Perhaps it is burglars marking their next target? Or workmen marking up a property for demolition?
The code in fact marks the return of a centuries-old Christian practice of scrawling holy graffiti to celebrate the festival of the Epiphany – the three Wise Men s visit to Baby Jesus in Bethlehem which many Britons know through the traditional Christmas nativity story.
The trend, known as chalking the door , has seen a sudden revival in Britain in 2021 as Christians hit hard by the coronavirus crisis seek to lift community spirits.
It is believed to have originated in Central Europe at the end of the Middle Ages before spreading to Britain.