• Ring Around The Roses - Ashes, Ashes We All Fall Down - History

  Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 24, 2026 (message contributor)

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  Scripture:  Genesis 2:7, Job 30:19, Isaiah 61:3, Genesis 3:19, Psalms 103:14, Genesis 18:27  (view more)  (view less)

  Tags:  Death, Flowers, Ashes, Disease, Dust, Black Plague, Rhyme, Nursery, Roses, Poses  (view more)  (view less)

  Denomination: Anglican

Ring around the roses, ... pocket full of poses, ashes, ... ashes ... (Slow) we all fall down.

Many of us have sung this little rhyme ... with our children, .... our grandchildren ... or have at least heard the rhyme.

We have heard or sung ... a number of these old rhymes ... as young children ... yet what do they actually mean?

What is the meaning behind the Nursery Rhyme?

Well this little rhyme ... came out of an event in Europe called ... the Black Death or ... the Black Plague.

The Black Death ... was a plague pandemic that occurred in Europe in the mid 1300's.

It was one of the most fatal pandemics ... in human history; ... as many as 50 million people died, ... perhaps half of Europe's 14th-century population.

So ... what do the words of the rhyme mean?

(Sing) Ring around the roses.

Well ... One of the early signs of the black plague ... was that your face would turn pale ... and your cheeks would become very dark and rose colored.

Thus, ... ring around the roses.

(Sing) ... Then ... Pocket full of poses.

It was thought during this dark period ... that this disease ... this plague was airborne.

So ... the people were convinced ... if you placed flowers up to your mouth ... that you were breathing ... better air.

Also, ... doctors would put roses and poses ... into their pockets ... and bring it into the patients ... for them to smell ... in hopes of bringing some comfort to the dying.

Many People would carry the poses around in their pockets believing it would help ward off the Black Death.

(Sing) Ashes ... Ashes

Ashes represented ... Black pile.

During the last days of the plague ... the dying would begin to expel dry black ash.

Ashes also are mentioned in scripture.

We all know these words from the Scriptures, ... ashes to ashes, ... dust to dust.

It is inevitable ... that a priest ... will proclaim those words ... ashes to ashes ... dust to dust ... at your funeral.

(Sing) Lastly ... We all fall down.

Beloved ... with certainty ... unless the Lord returns ... we will all fall down, ... which is a simple reminder ... that death will meet us all ... eventually.

Today is Ash Wednesday ... it is the beginning of the Christian season of ... Lent.