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Picking up sixpences at Smithfield 1902
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Picking up sixpences at Smithfield 1902
Centuries-old tradition, when 21 sixpences were placed upon a flat gravestone in the churchyard at St. Bartholomew in Smithfield, London, on Good Friday morning. Gathered are twenty-one aged widows with the church officials and a few spectators. Photograph showing a widow kneeling and picking up one of the sixpences, on rising she receives a freshly-baked hot-cross bun from another gentleman, who then assists her to walk over the stone, subsequently each widow is presented with a penny.
1902
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Media ID 23041454
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This evocative photograph captures the centuries-old tradition of Picking up the Sixpences at Smithfield, which took place on Good Friday morning in 1902. The scene unfolds in the churchyard of St. Bartholomew in Smithfield, London, where twenty-one aged widows have gathered around a flat gravestone. Church officials and a few spectators look on as the first widow kneels and reaches out to pick up one of the sixpences that have been placed upon the stone. The sixpence tradition was an annual charity event, with each widow receiving a penny and a hot-cross bun as a symbolic gesture of support and solidarity. The sixpence represented a small financial assistance, while the hot-cross bun was a symbol of the resurrection and the coming of spring. The widows, dressed in their Sunday best, appear solemn and reverent as they participate in this time-honored ceremony. The gentleman assisting the widow in the foreground offers her a freshly-baked hot-cross bun as a gesture of kindness and encouragement. This photograph offers a glimpse into the early 20th century and the rich cultural traditions that were an integral part of British life. The image is a poignant reminder of the community spirit that existed in England during this period, as people came together to support those in need and uphold cherished customs.
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