Pease Porridge Hot

"Pease Porridge Hot" is a clapping game wrapped around a recipe: a thick pea soup kept bubbling on the hearth for days. The "nine days old" line is not really a joke. Before refrigeration, a single pot would be reheated and eaten over a week or more.

Origins

The earliest documented version of the rhyme was printed around 1765 in John Newbery's landmark collection, Mother Goose's Melody. In that early publication, it was structured as a riddle about spelling the phrase "Pease Porridge in the Pot, nine days old" in four letters. Over the nineteenth century, the verse evolved into the popular schoolyard song sung today. It is cataloged under Roud Folk Song Index number 19630.

Meaning & Interpretation

The lyrics refer to a traditional thick split-pea soup or pudding known in Middle English as pease pottage. Before modern refrigeration, large pots of porridge were kept cooking over an open fire for days, with ingredients added as needed. The line "nine days old" accurately reflects this historical practice, where the thick soup could be safely reheated and eaten over a long period.

As a game, the rhyme is performed in pairs. Children clap their hands together and tap their knees in time with the rhythm of the words. This hand-clapping game helps young children develop manual coordination, rhythmic timing, and social cooperation.

What is the origin of the Pease Porridge Hot rhyme?

The rhyme is a traditional English nursery song first printed in London around 1765 in Mother Goose's Melody. It began as a spelling riddle before becoming a clapping game.

What does pease porridge nine days old mean?

The phrase refers to the historical practice of keeping a pot of pea soup cooking over an open hearth for several days, reheating it as a staple meal.