Pumpkin carving and Halloween go together like black cats and witches, but have you ever wondered how this strange tradition came to be?
While it may seem like a modern-day all-American tradition, pumpkin carving has its roots in folklore, immigration, and somebody named Jack O’Lantern.
The tradition is hundreds of years old and very dark, so if you’re ready to find out why we carve pumpkins for Halloween, let’s answer some of your questions.
Where do Halloween traditions come from?
During the 8th century, the Catholic Church named November 1st as All Saints Day or All Hallows Day, making October 31st All Hallows Eve. The Scots contracted that into “All Hallows E’en,” which eventually turned into Halloween.
This holiday commemorated all of the saints and spirits of the dead, much like the older Gaelic festival of Samhain.
Because it’s on the same day and is quite similar, many of the old traditions carried over to the new holiday.
Some of the traditions included carving lanterns out of veggies and wearing scary masks so that the spirits wouldn’t recognize you.
Many people from Ireland and Scotland immigrated to America, bringing with them some of these traditions.
The carving of pumpkins got mixed in so much that carving Jack O’Lanterns used to be a Thanksgiving tradition, too!
What is a Jack O’Lantern?
People have been carving vegetables for hundreds of years, and the tradition can be found in many cultures worldwide.
The pumpkin with a face and a light inside is uniquely American tradition, though, as pumpkins are native only to North America.
The original tradition of carving faces and adding lights inside can be traced to the Celtic parts of Great Britain, such as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
In these places, before Christianity arrived, people carved lanterns out of other vegetables, like turnips.
It’s a big part of the Gaelic festival of Samhain, which marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the cold, dark winter.
During Samhain, it’s believed that all the souls of the people who lost their lives that year pass on to the other side.
Why are they called Jack O’Lanterns?
The term Jack O’Lantern comes from an old Irish folktale about a blacksmith named Jack. He is sometimes called Jack the Smith or Drunk Jack.
There are many versions of the story out there, as it has largely been passed down by word of mouth.
The themes are all the same, though; Jack was a drunkard and a thief who managed to trick Satan into never taking his soul.
Because he was a thief, God didn’t want his soul either, and he was forced to roam the earth after his death, never being allowed to rest in peace.
In the story, Jack asks Satan to help with light, and Satan gives him a hot coal to carry. To hold the hot coal, Jack carved a turnip into a lantern and became Jack of the Lantern or Jack O’Lantern.
So why do we carve pumpkins, and what are they for?
Many people believe carving a pumpkin into a Jack O’Lantern can ward off the evil spirits that are out and about at this time of the year, including Stingy Jack himself.
He’s not the only one to watch out for, though. In Scottish Gaelic, the daoine sìth are fairies or elf-like creatures who come out during Samhain and Halloween.
These aren’t your typical Tinkerbell types, though. They are wicked and mischievous beings from which you need protection.
Some people even believe that they can help keep vampires away by revealing their identity and forcing them to stop their hunt, while others might have the pumpkins around just to scare people.
It’s believed that putting the carved pumpkin on your windowsill will keep your home safe from all of them.
Most people today carve pumpkins because they’re a great Halloween decoration, but those in the know carve them to keep evil spirits at bay.
Maybe this year, you’ll ditch the pumpkin entirely and go back to the roots of Halloween and try carving Stingy Jack’s favorite vegetable, the turnip.
Regardless of what you use, it’s still an incredibly fun tradition, even if by November 7th, everyone’s front doorstep smells like rotten pumpkins!
