How did pumpkins become a symbol for Halloween and when did we start to carve pumpkins? The carving of pumpkins has certainly evolved from a jack o’ lantern face of two triangle eyes, triangle nose, and carved teeth, to anything from elaborate animals to the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars.
Pumpkins are a symbol of Fall because they are harvested in the Fall so the pumpkin idea makes sense, but when did pumpkin carving and Halloween come together? Well, there is a fun Irish story that began pumpkin carving.
The Tale of Stingy Jack and the Jack O’ Lantern
The Jack O’ Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. Many of the stories, center around Stingy Jack. Here’s the most popular Irish story:
Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who took pleasure in playing tricks on just about everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. After the Devil climbed up the tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. Unable to touch a cross, the Devil was stuck in the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses, and the Devil climbed down out of the apple tree.
Many years later, Jack died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was mean and cruel, and had led a miserable, worthless life on earth. Stingy Jack was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil.
The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared. He had nowhere to go, but to wander about forever in the dark Netherworld between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave, as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell, to help Stingy Jack light his way. Jack had a Turnip with him. It was one of his favorite foods, and he always carried one with him. Jack hollowed out the Turnip, and placed the ember the Devil had given him, inside the turnip. From that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his “Jack O’ Lantern”.
On all Hallow’s eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O’ Lanterns. In the 1800’s a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So, they used pumpkins for Jack O’ Lanterns.
And that, my friends, is why we carve out our pumpkins!
Now as for when did pumpkin carving become such an elaborate hobby? Elaborate pumpkin carving is something that has evolved in the last 20 years. Artisans and the popularity of Pinterest has helped the ideas of carving designs other than the standard of the regular jack o’ lantern grow. Kids and adults love to try their luck at drawing scenery, heroes, animals, and so much more on the pumpkins and then carving those to see what a light inside the pumpkin will help them look like as the light shines through.
Carved or solid, pumpkins make us think of Fall and Halloween. The point of Halloween is to have fun. When you choose your pumpkin this year, have fun carving whatever design you decide!
