Hokey Pokey

Bulletin Q&A Article; Published 10-6-24:

Given the origins of the Hokey Pokey and Simon Says, should Catholics be teaching this song and this game to their children?

There are some who believe that the Hokey Pokey has anti-Catholic origins. But is that simply a conspiracy theory or urban legend? The controversy seems to have arisen in 2008 when a spokesman for Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland claimed that the origins of the Hokey Pokey can be traced back to 18th century Puritans who used the song to mock the Catholic Mass. The theory is that hokey pokey is derived from the incantation hocus pocus which in turn was meant to mock the Latin words said at the consecration: hoc est enim corpus meum (this is my body). Apparently, some soccer fans were using the song as a taunt, and Scottish Church leaders were concerned that it was hate speech. The representative commented: “This song does have quite disturbing origins. Although apparently innocuous, it was devised as an attack on and a parody of the Catholic Mass.” It is interesting to note, however, that while we in the US sing Hokey Pokey, in the UK they sing Hokey Cokey which makes this origin less plausible.

There are many other proposed origins and versions of the song with silly rhyme names like Hinkum-Booby and Looby Loo. Some say the song dates back to the 17th century and others claim it is much more recent. One theory is that it was written in the 1940s using the words from ice cream vendors of the time who cried: “Hokey pokey, penny a lump.” The origin of our current popularized version of the Hokey Pokey is definitely not clear.

But even if it does have origins back to the 18th century Puritans, the song is innocuous if not used in a way that mocks the Mass. While the Scottish Church had concerns, they also stated: “If there are moves to restore its more malevolent meaning then consideration should perhaps be given to its wider use.” If we do not try to restore a potentially malevolent meaning, then there should be no problem. Popular Catholic writer Mark Shea commented in an article in the National Catholic Register: “There are a lot of things in this world to worry about. Making the ‘Hokey Pokey’ one of them is the very definition of creating silly problems for ourselves.” In my opinion, the Hokey Pokey is simply a fun party song and dance that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. For me, that’s what it’s all about.

Regarding the Simon Says game, I was unable to find any controversial origin. The question was submitted anonymously, so I have no way of following up. If anyone can provide me with information about an inappropriate origin to Simon Says, please let me know.

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