The Origins of Pumpkin Carving

One of the most common symbols of Halloween is the jack-o-latern. Yet in order to understand the origins of how pumpkin carving began, and what it really means, it is important to first take a look at the holiday itself. While Halloween seems like a simple children’s holiday it actually has a long and varied history. If you are wondering how long Halloween has been around and why pumpkins play a part in it, here is what you want to know about craving pumpkins for Halloween.

For most people Halloween is a night for dressing up, telling ghost stories, having spooky parties, trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving. What many people do not know is that Halloween is actually based on an ancient Celtic holiday known as Samhain (pronounced “sow wan”), which means “summer’s end”. The Celtic celebration started at sundown on October 31st, lasted until sundown November 1st and marked the end of the Celtic year. The Celts chose this night to honor dead loved ones because it was believed that the veil that separated the two realms was thinnest on Halloween. This holiday was celebrated for centuries by the Celts of old, Witches and many other nature based religions, and for them was the most magical night of the year. Halloween is also referred to as the Last Harvest and the Witches New Year. Though not generally considered a religiously significant holiday now, Halloween is still a magical night for children!

On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns that were usually carved from turnips or gourds were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. In some cultures people would carry a jack-o-latern on Halloween to ward off evil spirits. Originally burning coal was used to illuminate the jack-o-laterns, but was eventually replaced with the candles we are all familiar with.

When European settlers, (particularly the Irish), arrived in America they found the native pumpkin to be much larger and therefore easier to carve. It seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns. Irish legend holds that the Jack O’Lantern got it’s name from a man, Jack, who succeeded in tricking the Devil several times in his lifetime. After he died Heaven refused him entry so he went down to Hell to appeal to the Devil. The story says that the Devil took pity on Jack and gave him a piece of burning coal to light his way as he stayed in limbo between Heaven and Hell. And so the carved pumpkin became known as the Jack O’Latern.

It is interesting to note that Halloween did not really catch on big in this country until the late 1800′s and yet has been observed in so many ways ever since! While it has certainly had humble beginnings, Halloween enjoys widespread celebration today.

Pumpkins are indigenous to the western hemisphere and were completely unknown in Europe before the time of Columbus. Historical records show that in 1584, the French explorer Jacques Cartier reported from the St. Lawrence region that he had found a type of melon that is now known as pumpkins. It is believed pumpkins have been grown in America for more than 5,000 years and that Native Americans called them “isquotersquash”.

Horticulturists have classified the pumpkin as a fruit not as a vegetable. Pumpkins, gourds and other squash, cucumbers, gherkins and melons are all members of the Cucurbitaceous family.