Ring shout

A shout, ring shout, Hallelujah march or victory march is a Christian religious practice in which worshipers move in a circle while praying and clapping their hands, sometimes shuffling and stomping their feet as well. Despite the name, shouting aloud is not an essential part of the ritual march, which varies by congregation and locality.

The earliest accounts of the practice date to the 1840s, where the ring shout was described as being a form of revivalistic Christian worship. Certain authors claim that the ring shout may be inspired by cultural practices in Africa that became incorporated as a part of Christian worship and imbued with new theological meaning. Ring shouts may occur when a congregant experienced the New Birth or became entirely sanctified. Ring shouts may also occur when the congregation perceives the presence of the Holy Spirit during worship.

African slaves in the West Indies and the United States partook in ring shouts upon their conversion to Christianity. The ring shout has been practiced in some Black churches into the 20th century, and it continues to the present among the Gullah people of the Sea Islands and in "singing and praying bands" associated with many Methodist congregations in Tidewater Maryland and Delaware, which have a large African American membership.

Hallelujah marches are associated with the Baptist, Methodist (especially in congregations aligned with the holiness movement), and Pentecostal branches of Christianity. Hallelujah marches have a strong association with Christian tent meetings and camp meetings, in which the New Birth and entire sanctification are promulgated. They have been practiced by Christians of various ethnic and racial backgrounds.

A more modern form, known still as a "shout" (or "praise break"), is practiced in many Pentecostal churches, along with black churches of various denominations, to the present day. Traditionally, ushers in Arkansas and Mississippi form a circle around the church member and allows them to shout within the circle.

International recognition now through the “Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters”: https://www.wwno.org/show/american-routes/2025-01-17/american-routes-shortcuts-the-gullah-geechee-ring-shouters Also https://blacklistedculture.com/gullah-geechee-ring-shouters/