By Corliss Jacobs
You’d be hard-pressed to find any piece of Halloween media that does not involve pumpkins. They take the shape of grinning jack-o'-lanterns, scary decorations, and then delicious pies when the Halloween season is over. I don’t have any complaints about this squash’s inclusion to my favorite holiday, but have you ever wondered why we chose pumpkins of all things? I have, and my research yielded fascinating results!
According to an MLive article by Charlotte Weick, the history of pumpkins stretches all the way back to the 1600s, when the Native Americans introduced them to the English pilgrims. They were eaten at the first Thanksgiving, hollowed out, and filled with milk, spices, and honey. In other words, this was the first edition of a pumpkin pie! The pumpkin was also very versatile, able to be used in custards, pudding, and soups. For hungry settlers, that was more valuable than gold. It was passed down to their descendants as they spread across the country. So, thanks to their ripening in autumn and the Natives sharing their crops, pumpkins have remained a staple crop in America to this day.
This explains pumpkins popping up in October, but it doesn’t explain the jack-o’lanterns. This comes from an old Irish tale called “Stingy Jack”. It tells the story of a lying, cheating drunk called, obviously, Jack, who lives a very wicked and wasteful life. Twice the Devil comes for his soul, and twice Jack manages to swindle him, first bargaining for ten more years of life, and then for the Devil to never take his soul to Hell. When at last Jack dies, he tries to enter Heaven, but is barred because of his wicked ways. He then begs for entrance to Hell, but the Devil cannot admit him due to their deal. Jack is forever doomed to wander the earth, unable to pass on from this world. However, he is given an ember by the Devil to light his way, which he decides to carry in a hollowed-out turnip. The Irish believed that putting lights into hollowed out turnips and pumpkins would keep Jack and other evil spirits away — a tradition they brought with them to America. Thus, these unconventional lanterns became known as jack-o’-lanterns, a beloved Halloween tradition among many American families.
This Halloween, teach these fascinating little tidbits to your children. It’s like a little history lesson wrapped in a spooky little package! Now go light a candle and carve a pumpkin — we don’t want old Stingy Jack coming around!
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