Pounding is a ritual in
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
in which a new
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
or
minister is given gifts by members of the congregation of that church at which he is assigned to preach.
The practice can be traced back to at least the 19th century, when communicants of a church visited the
parsonage
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...
and dropped off a
pound
Pound or Pounds may refer to:
Units
* Pound (currency), various units of currency
* Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom
* Pound (mass), a unit of mass
* Pound (force), a unit of force
* Rail pound, in rail profile
* A bas ...
of an item of food, such as "coffee, sugar, flour or honey."
When dropping off items to help the new clergyman out, congregants would spend time with him, also getting to know his family in cases of Christian denominations that permit married clerics.
The practice of pounding takes place across
Christendom
The terms Christendom or Christian world commonly refer to the global Christian community, Christian states, Christian-majority countries or countries in which Christianity is dominant or prevails.SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christen ...
, in the countries of Africa as well as those of North America. It is done throughout many
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is a distinct Religion, religious body within Christianity that comprises all Church (congregation), church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadersh ...
s, including the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
,
United Brethren, and
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
traditions, among others.
Poundings are also commonly held for newlyweds or couples moving into a new home.
References
{{reflist
External links
An Old-Fashioned Pounding by Samantha Ewing(description of pounding)
Christian practices
Christian clergy